The Darksaber Resurfaces
by LadyDarkwind
Summary: Fifteen years after the Battle of Kashyyk, the Neutral Order and the Jedi Order are both flourishing, peace has come to the galaxy, and Ben, Rey, Finn, Twila, and Poe are thriving. The peace cannot last, however, and once again a sinister force has awoken. The Darksaber is found, but who is its new bearer? Rated M for strong language, some sex, and violence (Sequel to For The Girl)
1. Chapter 1

***Author's Note***

Good evening, my friends! As promised, I have a brand-new story for your reading pleasure this evening! This story picks up fifteen years after the events of For The Girl and Brotherly Bond. We're easing into this one; basically the first chapter is bringing you up to speed on who's up to what. Enjoy, my friends!

***End Note***

Rey woke slowly, Ben's right arm slung across her chest, still snoring into his pillow. _Well, that's a kindness_ , she thought to herself. She slid gently out from under his arm and got out of bed, dressing quickly in a pale silver nightgown that flapped playfully around her ankles. The morning chill still hung in the air, so she slipped into a matching cashmere dressing-gown. It had been a gift from the children for her birthday four years ago – they'd worked together to make it, and as a result, one sleeve was a bit longer than the other and the hems were uneven, but in Rey's eyes, that made it all the more special. Besides, all she had to do was roll the sleeves into cuffs and no one would be any the wiser. Walking to the window, Rey sighed with happiness as she looked out over the mountain-academy that they had created together with Finn and Twila. It had been fifteen years since the Battle of Kashyyk; Rey couldn't quite reconcile that fact. _Fifteen years. I can hardly believe it's been that long. If it weren't for the growth of the children, I'd think I'd gone quite mad._ Rey shook her head and smiled to herself, _We've been married fifteen years now, too. Now_ _ **that**_ _is hard to imagine. I'm just as happy now as I was the day I married him; maybe even more._

As Rey looked out over the Academy, the sun began to rise, sparkling through the morning mist. She knew that once the sun rose, she'd just be able to catch a glimpse of the land surrounding the mountain that the Neutral Order now called home. A village had sprung up at the foot of the mountain, which supplied them with most of their supplies; their robes were proudly crafted from the finest wool in that village. There was a similar village at the foot of the mountain that the Jedi Order called home. About six months after the end of the First Order, Finn, Twila, Luke, Ben, and Rey had come to Takodana and asked Maz Kanata if they could buy some land to found a pair of schools. Rey smiled as she remembered the conversation with the older woman.

 _The group walked into Maz Kanata's bar, glancing around for her. She appeared suddenly at Ben's elbow, saying, "So. You've come to me at last. I was sorry to hear about your father, Ben. Now; it comes to mind for me to wonder what it is that five talented Force-Users such as yourselves would be wanting here with me." She gazed up at them, her beady eyes magnified by the goggles she incessantly wore._

 _Rey smiled, "We have a piece of business we'd like to discuss with you, Maz. Is there somewhere private we could talk?" Maz returned Rey's smile and gestured for the small group to follow her._

 _She led them to what Rey could only assume was Maz's personal office. To say that the space was "eclectic" would be a gross understatement. There was a massive mahogany desk that instantly dwarfed the little yellow creature, behind which stood a comfortable-looking armchair that seemed to have been made especially for Maz. On the walls, there hung a collection of paintings so diverse that it boggled Rey's mind. There was one in particular that caught Rey's eyes. It was a picture of a beautiful young woman in exceptionally elaborate dress with an equally elaborate headdress. Her face was painted white and her lips the exact red of the eyes looked oddly familiar to Rey. Ben leaned in close and whispered in her ear, "That's my Grandmother, Padme. This painting was done back when she was still the Queen of Naboo." On the shelves resided a collection of knickknacks that captured the imagination. Rey could only think that this room detailed the one thousand years that Maz had experienced throughout her lifetime._

 _"_ _Now; what is it that you needed of me?"  
Rey's lips twitched as she responded, "We were hoping that we could buy some land off of you, Maz. It would need to be enough for two academies; one for the Jedi Order, one for the Neutral Order."_

 _Luke cleared his throat and put in, "My sister has promised us as many credits as we need for such a project, including the costs of building the schools, so you have no fear that we won't be able to match your price."_

 _Maz chuckled at them, "After a thousand years, I have found that, at their center, people are all the same. They are always predictable, which is how I knew you'd come to me eventually for land to establish your schools on. That is why I started building a couple of suitable establishments years ago; they're nearly castles, really. I've also put the word out for cooks, cleaning staff, and so on. You should have your non-Force-Sensitive staff by the end of the month. The schools are nearly completed; I hope you like them. I designed one with the Jedi Order in mind, and the other, I made more...Well, more Neutral. They are ready for use immediately, there's really just a bit of aesthetics left at this point. You should be able to bring in the students by the end of the week." Maz chuckled again as every jaw in the room went slack with surprise except Luke's, "Now; as far as price goes...I should think that three million credits should do it. That's total, not each. It comes to one and a half million credits per building. And don't you worry about me losing money; the way I see it, I'll make the money back in droves once your schools gain some notoriety. They're going to be quite the tourist attraction."_

 _Luke smiled and shook his head, "Somehow, I'm not surprised that you saw us coming, old woman."_

 _Maz's eyes sparkled with amusement as she responded, "And you see nothing at all, old man. And yet you perceive more than ever." The rest of the meeting consisted of logistics and coordinating. A price was quickly decided on to arrange for the supplies that they would need to at least get the academy off the ground. All in all, the meeting was over within the hour, which was one-third the time that Rey had expected._

Rey chuckled quietly to herself; yes, it was incredibly difficult to believe that it had been fifteen years since Kashyyk. It had taken poor Twila nearly two years to get used to her partially missing lek'ku, but she was fine now, and thriving. Finn said she still had phantom pains sometimes, but that was fairly normal in someone who'd lost a limb. Now, though, they had two children, thanks to the genetic alterations that Twila had gotten done. Even so, it had taken them five years of trying to conceive their first child and another three for their second. Both were boys – T'arla, who was nine, and Jar'lek, who was five. As much as those mischief makers drove their parents mad, they were the pride and joy of both Finn and Twila.

Poe had never married, but his adopted daughter, Lilia, had flourished under his care. Finn and Poe had hunted down every bit of information they could find regarding her birth parent, including service records, love letters, holo-discs, and so on. Lilia knew all they could find about her parents, and had grown up being incredibly grateful for the knowledge. She was a full Master now, and had adopted an ambidextrous two-handed fighting style so that she could honor her birth parents by using both of their light-sabers at once. Poe had slaved like mad to find them and bring them to Takodana in time for her induction into the Order as a full Master. She had accepted them joyfully and humbly, choosing to pass the light-saber she had crafted for herself as a part of her training to the next Apprentice that had felt drawn to it. Lilia was now on of the teachers of the two-handed style at the Academy, and she flourished in the role.

As for the twins, well...they were...a _handful_ , but then they were fifteen, so that was to be expected. Finn and Padme had begun to show the same type of connection that Ben and _his_ twin had shared from an extremely early age, but they had been prepared and on constant watch this time. Ben and Rey had been blessed with three more children, Anakin who was thirteen, Leia who was eight, and Han who was four, and already showing the same ability to get himself into trouble that his grandfather had. Han Sr. still showed up now and again, though these days it was more fatherly advice, and less Good of the Galaxy advice. Finn and Padme had chosen to follow their parents into the Neutral Order, and were well on their way to becoming Masters, themselves – _if_ they could manage to stay out of trouble for a full week. Just a few days ago, they had taken a forbidden overnight trip through the hidden mountain pass that led to the Jedi Academy to go and peak at some of the female Apprentices that had caught their eye. Needless to say, Luke had caught them immediately and returned them with sore backsides, escorted by two of the largest male students he had. Anakin had chosen the way of the Jedi, and had quickly become Luke's personal Apprentice, along with three other especially promising students. Leia was showing a great aptitude for healing, and had yet to decide whether she would go to the Neutral Academy or the Jedi, and therefore split her time evenly between the two. Han was Rey's youngest, and therefore had a special place in her heart. He was an incredibly well-behaved little boy, and seemed to know what Rey wanted him to do before she asked him to do it. He always did things as well as he could, but always managed somehow to wind up in the very worst sort of trouble imaginable, though he also managed to find his way out, somehow. He had started levitating small rocks three months ago, just before his fourth birthday, because he thought it was fun.

Chewie had decided to stay with Ben and Rey, acting as a sort of "mother hen" for the younglings. He had been irreplaceable when the Academy had first started, given how many orphans of Kashyyk and D'Qar that had shown Force-Sensitivity – the oldest of these was now nearing thirty. When they had first arrived, they had understandably been disoriented, depressed and in the case of some of teenagers, they had grown extremely confrontational. Chewbacca had appeared to them as the ultimate protector; they knew, somehow, that he would never harm them, nor _allow_ any harm to come to them. Through Chewie, Ben, Rey, Finn, Luke, Twila, and Poe had finally managed to get through to the children.

Poe, though not Force-Sensitive, had become a professor, himself. He taught the history of the Force at both the Neutral and Jedi Academies. It had been Luke's idea, originally; he thought it an excellent idea to have a "normal" person teach that particular course so that the students could fully comprehend that their actions had an effect on the "normal" people, too. It also showed that, while Poe and others like him did not have any Force abilities, had proven to be irreplaceable assets. His story had been told again and again, as well as his personal experience with what happens to the un-gifted when the Force is used the wrong way. Poe's loss of his wife and unborn child were nearly legend among the students, and they held him in such high esteem that they called him "Master" though they knew he was neither Jedi nor Neutral Master.

Finn and Twila's friends Thamian and Huur had kept a continuous relationship. Thamian dropped in every few weeks, always carrying some new interesting thing that inevitably got a number of the more mischievous students in heaps of trouble (most notably Finn and Padme) but his visits were always well received by all. He brought goods for trade with the Force Villages, as they had come to be known over the last fifteen years, and gifts for his friends. Ben and Thamian had struck up quite the friendship over the years, and when the great bear of a man was on Tokodana, they could often be spied in Maz's bar sharing a pint of some concoction or other. Huur had become the leader of Togoria mere weeks after Kashyyk, his Grandfather, Yara, claiming that he desired to spend the last few decades of his lifetime in relaxation, though Finn thought it was more that he was weary of the arguing Council members, and less that he desired the option of laziness; the ancient Togorian had often made excursions to Takodana to visit with the founders of the Academies. His visits were also well-received; he was a legend among the peoples of the Force Villages; most of them rarely got a glimpse of a Togorian, and many were curious. Through Huur, however, the Neutral Order had received its first Togorian student – his youngest daughter, Hrii. She was only seventeen – a child by Togorian standards, and Luke thought she might be the first Togorian _in history_ to be have been accepted into an Academy to be trained in the use of the Force.

Tuk-Tuk was still very much alive and well, and was considered by all to be the sweetest creature on all of Takodana. Maz often came to the mountain just to visit with him. His vocabulary had improved somewhat, and he still had as much energy as he'd ever had, though Ben had noticed that Tuk-Tuk's joints seemed to pain him slightly and that his fur had begun to go silver-white in places. Ben and Rey figured the little Pri'ka had lived long past his natural lifespan due to his bond with Ben and Rey. He had gained some small amount of Force ability, himself, though he would never be as capable as the vast majority of the students, he still enjoyed using the Force to play with the youngest of the Younglings.

Rey sighed happily and felt Ben wind his arms around her waist, burying his face in her chestnut hair, "What's got you so happy this morning, my Light?"

Rey shrugged and turned into his embrace, "Nothing, really. I was just thinking about how far we've come since Kashyyk. Do you remember what a struggle this place was when we first opened it to the students? The housework and maintenance alone were a nightmare! At least, until we got the brilliant idea to make it a part of the students' training, doing it without the Force. Whose idea _was_ that, anyway?"

Ben chuckled at the memory as he considered, "It was Poe, if I recall correctly. As the only un-gifted person _on_ these mountains, he was tired of constantly doing all the 'heavy lifting', if memory serves. I believe his motives may have been initially selfish, but you can't argue with the results, can you?"

Rey laughed heartily and stretched onto the very tips of her toes to kiss her husband, "Come on, you heathen. Let's see where the children are; it was Finn and Twila's turn to get up early today." Just then, there was an "oof" followed by the rolling giggle of a child. Rey put a finger to her lips and grinned, sneaking silently to the door and sliding it quickly open, surprising young Han so that he toppled over, landing squarely on his bottom. Rey laughed again at the sight of him and swept him up into the air, settling him easily onto her hip. "Come on, little mischief maker! Let's find your brother and sister." To her husband, she thought, _Let's hope they haven't gotten into_ _ **too**_ _much trouble yet this morning_.

***Author's Note***

I truly cannot wait for you to see where this one is going! I have a lot of twists and turns in store for you! I hope you enjoyed, and thanks for reading, as ever. Please leave a review, if you'd like!


	2. Chapter 2

***Author's Note***

Good evening once again, my friends! So, this chapter, we get to see Finn interact with the Padawans, which is fun, and a wee bit of mischief form the Solo twins! Oh, this chapter was so much fun to write; thus far, I'm just having a blast writing this story for you lot; enjoy!

***End Note***

Finn sat with his eyes closed, enjoying the feel of the early morning chill on his bare chest. He had found long ago that he preferred to spar without a tunic. Currently, he was dressed in loose trousers, boots, and a light cotton robe that was open in the front, exposing his bare chest and many scars. It was his turn to take the pre-dawn light-saber course while Twila had the pre-dawn Force use lesson. The classes operated in a round robin format where each student joined the class at whichever point it had already reached and only _left_ the class once it looped back to where they had joined. In this way, none of the Padawans were bored by redundant information, and the classes could be taught at a pace that suited everyone. This morning, it was light-saber training, which was one of the few exceptions. This class and the Force training course were more on an individual basis; each Padawan was assigned a time and the Master would split the Padawans into groups based on skill level.

Knowing that he had a new group of Younglings this session, Finn knew that he needed to show special care in regards to his physical appearance – thus the robe. It would eventually come off, of course, but he'd get to warn the new batch first, at least. Just then, he sensed the class trooping up to the very top of the mountain, where Finn waited. They reached the end of the path, chattering loudly among themselves, falling silent when they saw their Master sitting with his back to them. Feeling that he had been still long enough, Finn began to slowly loosen each group of muscles before he stood, beginning with his neck.

Still with his back to hi students, he spoke, "Good morning, young Padawans." A chorus of _Good morning, Master_ rang across the mountaintop, and Finn heard a familiar pair of voices, _Oh, Powers save me, not the twins._ Out loud, he said, "I sense we have a batch of new Younglings. Before we begin, I feel I must warn you; I received a terrible injury during the war with the First Order, which left me with no feeling in my chest and back, which earned me the name No-Nerves." A few whispers broke out as the new Padawans reacted to the fact that someone who had, until now, been nothing but a legend was actually _standing in front of them_. "As such, I have received many wounds on my chest and back, therefore I had many scars. You'll notice that the Masters Solo also have scars, but mine are...more _extreme_. They each have a single, spectacular scar whereas I have dozens, perhaps even hundreds. I've never counted, so I wouldn't know. I thought I should warn the young ones so they would not be overly startled by my appearance. That being said, let us begin." With no further prologue, Finn stripped off his light robe to deposit it on the ground and heard the children gasp; one even screamed. Finn turned around and they gasped again, though the child he thought had screamed was backed all the way against one of the older students' legs, trying desperately to get away from him. The child was a young Twi'lek, and her lek'ku were trembling with the strength of her fear. Finn spread his arms for the child's inspection and turned slowly so she could see him full torso, compassion in his eyes. "If you think I'm terrifying, just wait until you meet Master Luke of the Jedi Order. _He_ lost his eyes during the battle of D'Qar. Of course, there's Master Twila, who you'll meet later today for Force training. She lost half a lek'ku during the Battle of Kashyyk." The little Twi'lek girl's eyes went wide and Finn nodded, "Yes, it was very difficult for her; she still wakes up with phantom pains sometimes, and it's been fifteen years. I'll never forget the pain she felt; it was like an arm had been cut off or her head had been split open, but combined into one terrible, nauseating pain." Finn glanced slyly at the child, who was looking slightly confused at how he could know so clearly how it felt to damage a lek'ku, as he was very clearly human. Finn smiled at her expression, "Ah, of course. You wouldn't know. Twila is my mate. As a matter of fact...T'arla, Jar'lek...Step forward, please." The two boys stepped forward, and the little Twi'lek girl got a good look at them, her eyes widening further. T'arla had inherited his mother's coloring, but his father's lack of lek'ku, while Jar'lek was the exact opposite. They were like looking into a reverse-image mirror. "These are my sons, youngling. So, as you see, there is nothing to fear here. No judgment will come to you here, nor will anyone seek to do you harm. I may _look_ terrifying, but I assure you, I am no more likely to harm you than I am to harm my own sons." Finn looked the girl right in the eyes, perfectly serious until she smiled, ever so slightly at him. He smiled full-on at her then, his eyes sparkling, and he sensed her remaining fear of him melt away.

The rest of the morning was fairly uneventful as Finn split the Padawans into various skill groups and gave the new younglings wooden practice swords until they were trained enough to keep from cutting off their own limbs. There were still a few of his current students that were using the wooden swords, so Finn placed the new arrivals with that group. There was a group that had only just completed their light-sabers; you could always tell which these were from the slightly cocky stride, the reverent way they held their weapons, and the way they were so terrified to damage their shiny new blades that they often spent half the class running around, trying to keep their blades from actually connecting with anyone else's, which is why they were given their own chalk circle to work in. There was the intermediate group, the mastery group, and then there was the group that was so spectacular with the blade that they were taught special techniques that only the greatest of Masters ever learned – this privileged group was one of the few that actually got to spar with the likes of Ben, Luke, or Thamian (when he visited). Finn and Padme had earned their place in the last group, and were given special training from Ben and the other Bonded Masters to be able to better work together and use their bond to their greatest advantage. It was that particular pair that drew Finn's attention today; he couldn't quite explain why, but he felt that there was mischief in the air this morning. There was a thrum of energy that he couldn't quite explain, and it wasn't just from the students, either, though Finn knew they could sense it, too. The twins were sparring more enthusiastically than ever, their light-sabers flashing and buzzing with enthusiasm. However, their enthusiasm was not being tempered by their skill. As Finn watched, they grew more and more sloppy, opting for the more spectacular moves that had little to no chance of success in a real fight. Young Finn blocked his twin's blow in a spectacular, sweeping fashion and leaped over her, her blade barely missing his legs. This was getting dangerous, and fast, and not just for the twins, either. The more enthusiastic they became, the more they bumbled into other training rings of less skilled students; to their credit, the older students began to group around the younger students, light-sabers at the ready, should a blow go astray and endanger one of the littles. Suddenly, things took a turn for the worse and Finn's eyes narrowed as he felt the snap and crackle along the Force as the twins' grew more and more involved in their sparring. Force use was strictly forbidden in these mixed lessons; it was only allowed in the advanced courses and the special extra lessons that the twins took, and Finn knew that they knew, as he had reprimanded them about it many times, himself, not to mention their parents. He had just opened his mouth to say as much when Finn and Padme both aimed a massive Force-Blast at each other simultaneously. The blasts met in mid-air, causing an explosion of Force Energy that would blast every other person on the mountaintop outward and off the edge for a five thousand foot drop. Finn quickly threw up a barrier around the students, keeping them safe, but leaving himself unprotected. Finn was thrown backwards, with nothing but valley floor and rocky mountainside below him. Finn twisted in midair, scrabbling for the side of the mountain, catching hold only just in time to hear the petrified cries of "Master!" from above. Shoving down his anger and frustration, he dug in with his fingers, pressed his feet into the rock and pushed off, using the Force to flip him into the air and land gracefully in the center of the clearing, fuming. He felt Twila's terrified flicker of thought towards him, and caught a glimpse of her pale face and her standing in a half-crouch before he sent her a reassuring thought, followed by a quick mental picture of what had happened.

The twins stood, staring at their father's lifelong friend, knowing they had truly gone too far this time. "Sit." he snapped out, his voice trembling with anger and adrenaline, "Not. You." He snapped again as the twins hurried to sit, freezing as his gaze fell on them, looking like a pair of identical, terrified rabbits. Finn lowered his voice to its most dangerous, "What, _exactly_ got into your idiot heads this morning? You know as well as I do that Force use is forbidden in these mixed classes. What will your parents have to say about this, I wonder? Shall we go and ask them?  
"No need," came Ben's icy voice from the path, "Their parents are here, and saw the whole thing." The twins paled in unison and began babbling incoherently at their father until her held up a hand and hissed between his teeth at them. "Never, in the fifteen years that we have run this academy, have we _ever_ had two such troublemakers. If ever you two get your acts together and stop acting like spoiled children who run this academy, rather than the Padawans that you are, you could be two of the best Masters this academy has ever turned out!" Finn felt Ben draw him, Rey, Twila, and Luke into a quick, silent conference, and felt the shock of both Twila and Luke at what the twins had done; all four sensed the direction of Ben's thoughts and agreed wholeheartedly. "Therefore, I believe a punishment of such a nature that has _never_ been seen before in this academy is in order. Padme and Finn Solo; you are hereby stripped of your light-sabers until such time as we deem you worthy. Also, for the next two months, you will serve in the Force Village at the foot of this mountain, in addition to your chores around the Academy, as whatever they need you to be _without your powers_." The twins began to wail and argue with their father at the tops of their lungs, but Ben waved his hand and struck them silent while his oldest children glared their resentment at him (he had yet to teach them that particular trick.) " _You will do as you're told_! All the Masters are in agreement in this matter. Hand Master No-Nerves your light-sabers and go to the village leader as soon as your regular duties and classes are completed and tell him what you've done, and what we've decided; see Chewbacca – he'll find enough work to keep you hooligans out of trouble until then." The twins, thoroughly abashed, did as they were told and slumped their way down the path and out of sight.

Rey sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose while she shifted young Han on her hip, "Will those two _ever_ learn? Ah, well. We'll talk to them again at home later, my love. Until then, I hear we have some new faces." The children in question stepped forward at Finn's instruction, shuffling their feet shyly as Rey looked them over. "Very promising," she said, "Yes, you'll make fine Masters, some day, little ones. We've held you up long enough, Finn. We'll just take Han to Chewie – he's so good with him, and Han just adores Chewie. Enjoy your class."

Finn snorted as they left, "You're just glad today wasn't your turn!" He shouted after them and was rewarded by their hearty laughter. "Now, for the rest of you...Your reactions were exactly as they should have been; you protected those less able to defend themselves than you were while you younglings allowed your elders to do so. Well done, truly. However, there is still more time left in this lesson; therefore, back to work, if you please." Finn stood in front of the various groups, watching as a number began to attempt to emulate the twins. Finn had seen enough and called the session to a halt. Calling the other two students from the advanced group to the front with him, Finn said, "Since so many of you seem intent on teaching each other bad habits, I will show you what a _real_ fight looks like. You two, attack me and really _try_ to cause damage; don't worry, you won't manage it. But even if you did, I happen to know a rather spectacular young healer. Now, come at me, and use every trick you know!"

Finn drew his light-saber from his side and lit the shining silver blade, admiring, as he often did, the simple beauty of its gentle curving tip. He held the blade to his side, seeming to show no defense and waited for one of his students to take the bait. Predictably, they did so after exchanging a cautious glance. One of the students, a young man, charged from Finn's left, and the young woman charged from the right. Finn easily blocked each of their blows before launching a counterattack of his own, being careful not to overwhelm them. In a way, he was testing his abilities for himself as he trust his blade at the girl while aiming a vicious kick at the boy that landed squarely in his chest. The girl attempted to tangle Finn's blade up with her own, but only succeeded in making it easier for Finn to bat it away. Just then, the young man came to her rescue, thrusting at Finn's side, only to be stopped by a Force-Barrier that shoved him back a few paces. Seeing that the rules of this sparring session were different than normal, the pair circled Finn for a moment, and his eyes narrowed in approval. After much back-and-forth, Finn thought the lesson had gone on long enough. He slashed his blade crosswise at the girl, forcing her to fall back and taking the moment of her distraction to lunge forward and strike a "killing" blow. The young man rushed forward with a flurry of blows that Finn easily saw through, ducked under the last, and brought his own blade, stopping it mere inches from the boy's throat.

Bowing to both of his young opponents, he turned to the rest of the class, "That was very well fought. For two half-trained Padawans, fighting a fully trained and battle experienced Master, they did very well. There is, of course, room for improvement, but everyone can say that, myself included. Now, that being said, there are those rare few in the galaxy that can hold their own against a Master of either the Neutral or the Jedi order, even though they are fully untrained and un-gifted in the Force. My bond-brother, Poe, is one of these."

Just then, a familiar voice boomed from the path, "Sure, and I'd be another, little man!"

Finn laughed aloud as the shaggy red head of Thamian Rar appeared at the top of the path, and just kept rising. At last, the full frame of the enormous man stood at the top of the path, and many of the older students greeted his arrival with shouts and cheers of greeting, setting his green eyes to sparkling. Thamian's bulging arms were, as ever, bare from mid-bicep down, showing a rather nasty scar that he'd received during the Battle of Kashyyk, and his ever-present vibrosword slung across his gigantic back. He stood still as Thamian strode to stand beside Finn in a few long steps, wrapping an arm around the much smaller man's shoulders, dwarfing him instantly. "Younglings, for those of you who have not had the... _dubious_ pleasure, may I introduce to you Captain Thamian Rar. I've known Thamian for a very long time now; we fought side-by-side in the Battle of Kashyyk. He's absolutely right; he is one of the rare few that can take on a fully trained, fully armed Force-User and live to tell the tale. I personally witnessed him take on a Knight of Ren by himself and defeat him." Most of the students had never heard that particular gem of information, and the older students who had seen holovids and read detailed reports from the Battle of Kashyyk looked at the mountainous man with new respect. "Now, I was wondering if maybe you'd like to show the students here just how it is that you fight. Up for a sparring session?"

Thamian put his hands on his hips and bowed back, roaring with his merry laugh as it echoed across the mountains. "Do you really have to ask, little man? I'm ready when you are!" As if to prove that fact, Thamian drew his massive blade and held it off to the side as Finn lit his own blade, and the pair circled each other, their eyes glinting and a matching grin on each of their faces. For them, this was going to be quite the entertaining bout.

***Author's Note***

Yaaaaay! Thamian's back! Oh, I was laughing pretty hard at the twins' screw up. Further ramifications will be seen form their poor choices in later chapters; I'm not just going to leave it there, no worries! Hope you had as much fun reading this chapter as I had writing it. As ever, thanks for reading, and please feel free to leave a review, if you'd like. ^_^


	3. Chapter 3

***Author's Note***

So, this chapter starts out with good family fun, closely followed by plot-y goodness! Ooooo, things are getting good, and quickly! Hope y'all enjoy!

***End Note***

Later that evening, Ben stood with his feet shoulder-width apart and his arms crossed over his muscular chest, a frown on his scarred face, Before him stood Finn and Padme, his ever-so-troublesome twins. He sighed and shook his head, "What are we going to do with you two? After that little performance this morning, you two should be counting your lucky stars that you weren't disbarred entirely! You could have hurt someone! You could have killed a child! You nearly _did_ kill Master Finn! What were you thinking!?" Rey laid her hand on Ben's arm and shook her head.

Striding forward, she stood before her eldest children, waiting for them to meet her gaze. They both towered over her, having inherited their father's height. They'd gotten their appearance more from their mother, both choosing to wear their chestnut hair in a long braid down their backs and kept their Padawan braid over their right ears, tied with a gray leather cord and both were as willowy as their mother. They had Ben's eyes, though – a fact which frequently took her breath away. At last, they met her gaze and she laid a hand on each of their cheeks, "We're more disappointed than we are angry. We know that you two are capable of so much more than this. You have such power and kindness in you, and yet you waste your talents by getting yourselves into as much trouble as possible. Your father and I think that you may learn some humility in the village."

Both twins groaned and Padme whined, "But mother, they're _civilians_! What could we possibly learn from _them_?"

Rey's eyes went hard and cold as ice as they narrowed and she allowed steel to creep into her voices, "I was 'just a civilian' once, you know. I scavenged for hardly enough food to survive on when I lived on Jakku, where I was _alone_. I had no parents to get me out of trouble and no one to tell me everything was going to be fine. I had no powers that I knew of and I survived just fine, so don't you _dare_ tell me that you have nothing to learn from _normal_ people. That will be the end of it." Both twins had begun to argue again, but fell silent at their mother's words and dropped their eyes to the floor, looking shamefaced. "Now, go and make yourselves presentable – everyone is coming over for dinner, including your Great-Uncle Luke."

Finn raised an eyebrow at her and smirked, "Why do we need to be presentable for _him_? He' _blind_!"

Finn skittered out of the way as his mother aimed a cuff at him, "Because I _said_ so, that's why! Now get out of here, you hellions!" The pair ran down the hall to the partitioned bedroom they shared, laughing. Rey chuckled, herself as Ben wrapped his arms around her from behind. "You worry about them too much, my love. They'll be fine, you'll see. I think this physical labor punishment is just what they need. They have to learn sometime that things up here are not the way they are out in the rest of the galaxy. It's incredibly sheltered up here – most of the Padawans came to us from some other corner of the galaxy, but not our children. They were raised in this life, and haven't really known hardship like the others have. The only reason Finn and Twila's children have a better idea of what the real world is like is because they're half-breeds. There will never be a time when they aren't discriminated against; there will always be someone to speak ill of them. Well, all that we can do for our children is our best, and I think this will go a long way towards fixing their wild natures."

Ben sighed as he breathed in the scent of her, "I hope you're right, my Light. Either way, our guests are beginning to arrive."

From behind them, they heard Poe's voice, "Well, yeah; and when have you ever known me to turn down free food?" With Poe came Luke; as Poe had been teaching at the Jedi Academy today, they thought it best for Poe to walk over with him. Luke was as self-sufficient as ever, but Ben still worried about the aging Jedi sometimes. "Lilia's just behind me; she's out front, chatting with Thamian about fighting techniques. I raised a little girl, I swear I did..."

Ben and Rey chuckled as Lilia and Thamian trooped in, laughing loudly. Thamian and Lilia had gotten along swimmingly from the first time they'd ever met. As a child, Lilia had been an enchantingly lovely little thing with piercing blue eyes and raven black hair that stood out beautifully against her milk-white skin. Now, she was even more enchantingly stunning as an adult; she had grown into her long, pale limbs, and gained the curves of womanhood. All in all, she was built like the warrior she was; Poe had always thought she looked like some kind of Celtic goddess. She was taller than her adopted father by about three inches, and carried herself in a proud, yet humble way that drew the eye of all the young men down in the village. "Mmmm, it smells lovely in here," she said, "I swear I could eat the table, I'm so hungry. I heard about what happened this morning during Master Finn's class; is everyone okay?"

Rey smiled ruefully, "Everyone's just fine, though the twins scared a few years off of Twila's life, I think. She felt Finn go over the side; right in the middle of her class, she stopped talking mid-sentence and nearly ran out on the class she was teaching. Poor thing; I dread to think what Twila might do if something ever _did_ happen to Finn."

Lilia nodded and Thamian chuckled, "Well, give 'em to me for a few training sessions, and I'll beat the rebellion right out of them!"

Just then, the twins came hurtling through the hall, young Han hot on their heels, the three of them making such a racket that all conversation ceased as the adults present watched tiny Han chase his older siblings as fast as his tiny little legs could carry him. Luke smiled, and Ben was certain that he was watching through the Force. Finally, the twins exchanged a glance and slowed their pace, letting Han catch up to them and grab on to young Finn's leg. Finn pretended to careen into his sister, and both of them collapsed into a screaming heap on the floor as Han squealed with delight and scrambled on top of his sibling-heap, jumping up and down, screaming "Again, again!" The adults laughed at the spectacle just as the front doors slid open again, admitting Finn, Twila, and their boys, trailed by Leia and Anakin who were often found in each others' presence; today had been Leia's day at the Jedi Academy, and as such, she and Anakin had most likely found some meadow or other to practice healing and other Force abilities until it was time to leave. As they were both out of breath and covered in sweat, Rey figured they had lost track of time (again) and had to run after their Great-Uncle. Chewie was the last to arrive, and the youngest children swarmed him, causing him to growl out a laugh.

Rey sighed happily; she was never so happy as when her entire family was in one place. Anakin, Leia, and Han were dancing around Chewie with T'arla and Jar'lek giggling madly from the floor. Lilia laughed from the sidelines, most likely remembering some long-ago time when the old Wookie was her favorite jungle gym, while the twins had the glint in their eye that told Rey they were considering some mischief, most likely involving their younger siblings. Moving to where Ben sat at the table, she sat on his left knee and leaned her head on his, smiling hugely. Ben's hair had gone a little white at the roots and there were wrinkles at the corners of his eyes and around his mouth now, but she thought him more handsome than ever. He'd allowed his hair to grow out, too; it now hung far past his shoulders, and was often tied up with a silver strip of leather that Rey had dyed for him herself two years ago for Midwinter.

At last, Rey stood and called the madhouse to the table for dinner and the children filed into the massive kitchen, each knowing their place as a waiter. Lilia grabbed a carafe of wine in each hand, the twins gathered up the wine goblets, Anakin grabbed up the ham and carving knife, T'arla snatched up the potatoes, being very careful not to burn himself, Jar'lek grabbed the bread, Leia the vegetables, and at long last came Han with his face ever-so-serious as he took up the linen napkins to set the table. Rey grabbed glasses for the under-21 crowd and began to fill them with milk, water, or juice, depending on preference as the children filed back in to take the silverware and plates to the table. All in all, the table was set and everyone had found their seats within twenty minutes, which was the fastest this crowd ever did anything. But then, Rey's cooking was the stuff of legend among the children, and many of the other students envied their friends, at least until Rey cooked for the entire Academy for Midwinter or Midsummer. Ben stood and began to carve the ham, causing mouths to water all around the table. As plates were filled along with mouths, there was a round of thank-yous and mmm, this is goods around the table before all was silent, save the clinking of knife and fork and the occasional exuberant outburst from little Han and the resulting laughter from the rest of the table. Altogether, it was an incredibly merry event, as these family dinners always were. Luke happened to be sitting directly across from Rey, and she took the moment to study the aging Jedi. His hair had gone completely white in the last fifteen years, and the folds of his face had deepened, giving him the appearance of a harmless old man. Rey knew, however, that though his sight was gone and his body aging, Luke Skywalker was still every bit the Master that he ever was. His skill with a blade was unrivaled by any but a spare few, including Ben and Rey, the twins, Finn and Twila, Lilia, and a couple of other students. Rey thought that Luke actually cultivated the "harmless old Master" image so that when he truly had to fight, his opponents would be taken aback. Many a time, Rey had witnessed a youngster face Luke who'd never faced him over crossed blades before, only to find himself horrifically outmatched beyond his worst nightmares.

Once dinner had been cleared and desert devoured, the happy family sat together around the fireplace, some sitting on the floor, some on the couch, others standing as they finished their nightcaps. The younger children were either already asleep where they had last sat or were hurtling rapidly towards it. All at once, every alert, Force-Sensitive person in the room lurched to their feet, hands on their weapons. None could say exactly what it was that had alerted them, but they all knew that something was terribly wrong. In the deathly silence, there came a knock at the door. The twins glanced at their parents, unnerved, but Ben and Rey just nodded in unison; whomever had come to call had not done so with harmful intent. Finn and Padme hurried to the door, opened it, and led a young man in the livery of the Chancellor into the living room. At once, Ben held his finger to his lips, silencing the intruder, and rousing Han, Leia, T'arla, and Jar'lek just enough to send them to bed. It wasn't the first time that the children had fallen asleep on Ben and Rey's floor. Young Finn, Padme, Anakin, and Lilia were allowed to stay due to their ages. Ben poured more wine for the adults and moved to stand behind the couch where Rey was sitting, "So; what is it that my mother needs from us this time? Is there another problem she needs our help with?"

The messenger took a deep, steadying breath and gulped deeply from his wine goblet. _Oh, hell,_ thought Ben, _this can't be good_. At last the young man spoke, "Your mother sends her regards, Master Solo, and hopes that she finds you, your wife, and your children well. Master Skywalker, your sister sends you the same wish for well being along with her hope that your dream of re-establishing the Jedi Order is flourishing. Masters Solo, Master Doroturo, Master No-Nerves, Master Skywalker, Masters Dameron; I've been sent to fetch you."

The room grew terribly still at his words and for a very long, tense moment, none spoke until Poe said very softly, "There's only one reason I can think of that would require Chancellor Organa to summon _all_ of us at once. We're all thinking it, and somebody's got to say it; the Darksaber."

A shudder seemed to run through the room at his assertion and the young man raised his brows, "I thought you were the one who wasn't a Jedi." Poe smirked and motioned for him to continue, "Master Dameron is correct. The Chancellor believes that whoever it was that stole the Darksaber from the Battle of Kashyyk has finally begun to make their move. There's not much besides whispers and rumors yet, but what the Chancellor _has_ heard disturbs her greatly. There are stories of a nameless force sweeping through villages overnight, leaving none alive. Often, these villages are home to Force-Sensitives who might otherwise have been brought to Takodana for training. There have, of course, been operatives sent to investigate, but to no avail; the operatives have been shipped back to Her Excellency in pieces. Terror is beginning to spread through the galaxy again; there are more rumors that a great army has begun amassing in secret cells throughout the galaxy but by the time the Chancellor manages to send help, they've moved on. She's out of options, and the only explanations she can come up with are that there's a rogue Force User out there, or it's the Darksaber. Either way, she feels that this can no longer be ignored, and requests that you come to her immediately for further briefing."

"Well, the seeming would be that my arrival is only just in time. My honor would it be to join you in your quest, little friends," Came Huur's voice from the doorway. Every head in the room snapped around in surprise to see the massive Togorian leader's jet-black fur and massive blue eyes filling the room with a new sense of power and authority as his tail whipped back and forth excitedly. The poor messenger, who had apparently never seen a real live Togorian before, shrunk into the couch, clearly terrified.

***Author's Note***

The whole gang's back together, now! Looks like Leia's really pulling out all the stops for this one! We're going on a wild ride for this one, my friends! Hope you enjoyed this chapter; leave a review if you'd like, and thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

***Author's Note***

So, another day, another chapter! This chapter is lots more plot, for the most part, with a good bit of lemon-y goodness at the end. I figured they're all married now, but married people have sex, too! Enjoy!

***End Note***

Everyone, though surprised at the sudden appearance of Huur, was pleased to see him (except, perhaps the poor messenger, who looked as though his might faint) and rushed to greet their old friend. Rey rushed into the kitchen to fetch the wooden goblet she'd had made especially for the Togorian's use and filled it with and entire carafe of wine. She handed it to him and sat quietly beside her beloved, listening to Finn chatting happily with his old friend.

"I didn't think I'd see you until Hrii's graduation! I have missed you, old friend. I would have thought that your position as Leader would keep you fairly occupied." Finn raised a brow at the massive, cat-like creature.

Huur rumbled out his distinctive, growling laugh, "Yes, it does. However, being Leader comes with... _advantages_. Greater, though, are those which come with children." Huur's eyes sparkled with mischief. "It is my eldest son, Yarr that I left in charge, with my Grandfather, Yara, as Adviser; Yarr had expressed interest in succeeding me. The Council, however, would allow no less than a half-dozen of our greatest warriors to accompany me as guards – they are doing their duty outside. Informed the Council did I that no safer could I be, surrounded by Masters, but my words fell on deaf ears."

Finn chuckled, "Yeah, that sounds like the Council I remember. At least you're as safe as is possible, though. Now, that brings me to my next question: What are you doing here?"

Huur laughed heartily, running his paws through his shaggy mane, "It was Hrii. A message I received from her; she told me I should come. Uncertain she was as to _why_ , but she was certain it was urgent. I have been around long enough and known enough Jedi to know when the Force is pushing on one's mind, so come I did." Huur shrugged as though it were the most natural thing in the galaxy.

Finn's brow furrowed as he glanced over at Ben and Rey, "I thought as much. Something has been building these past few months; we've all felt it, even the youngest Padawan. It's made things rather... _interesting_ around here. We had no hint what it could have been up until now, but what we _did_ know was that the whole situation has been shrouded by the Dark Side. None of us have been able to glean anything from the Force, which worries me."

Huur's piercing blue eyes narrowed, "Alarming this truly is. If such powerful Masters as yourselves are unable to peer into the truth of this matter, then danger must truly be brewing. Tell me; where is your little Pri'ka friend, Ben? Has he nothing to say regarding this?" As though this were an invitation, Tuk-Tuk squeaked and chattered as he swung down from the rafters, landing gracefully on Huur's shoulder and bowing in respect. _Hello, Leader Huur._ Came the Pri'ka's distinctive mind-voice. The Chancellor's messenger, who had only ever heard rumors of Tuk-Tuk's existence, jumped a foot in the air and let out a sound that was akin to the squawk of a frightened parrot. Tuk-Tuk glanced disparagingly at him with his amber eyes and shook his feline head, twitching his long tail and playing absently with Huur's pointed ear. _Tuk-Tuk is afraid. Many things might happen. There is much danger coming, can't see much. Tuk-Tuk must go, too._ He stared into Ben's eyes stubbornly. _Tuk-Tuk is old now. Won't leave Tuk-Tuk's bond-mates. Won't._

Ben smiled gently at littlest friend, "No one is asking you to, Tuk-Tuk. I would never leave you behind on something like this; of course you'll come with us. Besides, I'm sure my mother would like to see you." Tuk-Tuk danced a little on Huur's shoulder before launching himself to the couch and running on all fours to Ben and curling up around Ben's shoulders, which happened to be his favorite perch.

Twila rolled her eyes at the lot of them, "It seems that being Leader agrees with you, Huur. Your mane is thicker than I've ever seen it. It's most becoming."

Huur grinned at her, "I have long said, little Blue, that it was a wise choice Finn made, taking you as his mate. I would hear more, however, of this Darksaber. Only rumors have I heard, but it can't be as old as they say...can it?"

Luke sighed, breaking his long silence. "It can, actually. It is the oldest light-saber in existence. Much of its history has been lost, and more has been filled in through educated guess and flat-out conjecture. It was one of the duties of my former Master, Master Obi-Wan Kenobi to seek out the Darksaber from his post on Tattooine where he watched out for me until it was time for me to join the Rebellion. He left many datapads and holo-discs on the subject for me to find. He spread them all over the galaxy and left clues for me as to the locations of different bits of information so that, should they fall into the wrong hands before I'd been able to find them, no one would have all the information at once." Luke shifted his position to a more comfortable one and began his tale, "As is often the case with something as old as the Darksaber, much of its history has been lost or forgotten. Who created it, and why, is no longer remembered. What _is_ known is that it once belonged to the Jedi Order during the height of peace under the Old Republic and the height of the Jedi's power, long before Anakin Skywalker and the Emperor. All those hundreds of years ago, the Mandalorians came into power." The messenger made a noise of surprise at that revelation, "Yes, it truly is older than you thought possible. The Mandalorians came into power, and they coveted the power of the ancient weapon. A plot was devised, and the Darksaber stolen. It stayed in the possession of the Mandalorians for hundreds of years, passing from one generation to the next, and always staying with the leader of the clan of Mandalore. It was during this time that the blade of legend gained its current reputation as the bane of the Jedi. The Darksaber, unlike other light-sabers, does not require its bearer to possess any skill with the Force in order to use it well. However, when one with Force Potential _does_ get their hands on it, it is said that the blade amplifies their power and twists it. During the reign of the Mandalorians, many Jedi fell beneath its dark blade, staining the galaxy with their blood. At last, there came a challenger from the outside of the clan of Mandalore. By now, the clan had dwindled down to a pathetic remnant of its former power and glory. The Sith apprentice that killed my Master's Master and was defeated by Obi-Wan himself, Darth Maul, challenged the leader of the Mandalorians and killed him, taking the blade for himself. He was finally defeated during the Clone Wars, and the Darksaber was lost once again. We know now that the Twi'lek known only as the Old One had taken it from the battlefield and hidden with it in the forests of Kashyyk, where it was found by my fallen niece, Padme Solo. She used it to torture, maim, and murder the Old One. The Darksaber has a mind of its own, as ancient things often do, and senses hesitation in its bearer; if it does so, it ceases to obey the bearer and calls to another. When Ben faced his sister on Kashyyk, she had the option of destroying him forever and faltered. The Darksaber sensed her hesitation and balked, giving Ben the time he needed to end the battle. He sent the Darksaber flying, where it vanished once again. There were later reports that a shadowy figure had been seen sneaking around the battlefield at night, looking for something before it sprinted away one night, never to be seen again. Who it may have been, we can only guess. Personally, I am at a loss. However, I _do_ know this: Whoever took the Darksaber has chosen to begin consolidating their power, and that cannot be a good thing. They have been exceptionally patient during these past fifteen years, and that speaks of exceptional willpower. By now, they will doubtlessly have mastered the blade as much as it will allow and will be ready to take whatever vengeance on the Light Side that they feel is owed to them. What that plan might be is hidden from me."

As Luke's voice stopped, a ringing silence filled the air. At last, the messenger spoke, "If this is all true, then the galaxy truly is in grave danger. The Chancellor wishes for you to come to her immediately, if not sooner. I must report to her before I take my rest this evening; when should I tell her that you will be leaving?"

Every head turned to Ben save Luke's; he simply cocked his head to the side to better catch his nephew's words. Ben crossed his arms and sat back before he spoke, "We'll leave at the end of the week. We'll go and hear what Mother has to say, then come back here to plan. The children will stay behind; they're safer here, for now. Are we agreed?" As Rey, Luke, Finn, and Twila nodded in agreement, the elder children began to complain loudly until Ben shot to his feet, raising himself to his impressive height and his golden eyes flashing dangerously, "This is _not_ up for debate! You will stay here, where it is safe until we return. We don't know yet who it is that we're dealing with, or with whom they have a grudge. Until we have further information, you will remain here and protect the younglings. Lilia, you will be in charge of the Neutral Academy while we're away. Luke will appoint his own stand-in, I'm sure. Knowing you, Uncle, you've already got someone in mind."

Luke smiled, "Of course I do, nephew. I was thinking I might leave Master Shellac in charge. Matthew has always shown great wisdom for his youth. To be honest, I trust his judgment more than some of the Masters that are twice his age. I've been thinking that, if no one of greater ability and wisdom comes forth, I might appoint him as my successor. Oh, don't look at me like that, nephew! I may be powerful, but I am not going to live forever! Even if this mission doesn't kill me – which it won't – there will be another mission. And if it isn't a mission that kills me, it will be old age. As much as you'd like to think so, nephew, I am as mortal as the rest of the people in this room. I believe Matthew Shellac will be an excellent choice to serve alongside Lilia as the Supreme Master of the Academy." Ben sensed something from his Uncle just then that stopped his next protestation of his Uncle's planning for his own death.

"Fine. I'll let this go. For _now_. Until then, I'm sure that young...I'm sorry; I don't think I ever heard your name." Ben turned to the messenger to find that the poor young man had lost consciousness quite some time ago. "Ah; well, I suppose I'll find out his name later. Poe, would you and Lilia find somewhere for our young friend to stay tonight? Finn, Twila? We'll look after the little ones tonight; I'm sure you could use an evening to yourselves, anyway." Ben's eyes glinted knowingly as Finn and Twila thanked Ben profusely and hurried, arm-in-arm out of the house.

Rey watched her husband knowingly as he waited until everyone was out of the house or in their own rooms, including the twins. By the time the talk had wrapped up, even _they_ had begun to nod off; Anakin had fallen asleep hours ago and Finn had offered to carry his younger brother to bed before he and his twin fell into their beds as well. Rey sensed that all of the children were asleep and was going to speak when Thamian, who had been silently taking in all he could in a dark corner of the room and forgotten by everyone but Luke, spoke, "So; what is it that you don't want the littles to know, eh, Ben?"

Ben and Rey turned to the giant in their living room, "To be honest, my friend, I quite forgot you were here. How _do_ you do that!? You're so massive; you'd think you would stick out, but you have the most uncanny ability to hide in plain sight, even though there is absolutely nothing plain about you!"

Thamian laughed quietly, "Ben, I've been a smuggler since your father and I were lads. There are certain things that one learns at an early age when one is as large as I am that allow one to...blend in. Such as staying silent when wiser tongues than your own are wagging." Thamian tapped the side of his nose and winked roguishly. "And besides; I didn't want you to throw me out."

Ben chuckled and shook his head at his old friend, "All right, Uncle. Why Matthew Shellac? Why are you coming with us, _now_ , of all times?"

Luke chuckled, "I've been told many times since I lost my eyes that I see more now than I ever did when I had all five of my senses. Did you not notice the interest Lilia showed when I mentioned Matthew's name? Come, now, nephew; they're of a similar age, they are both enamored with the art of the blade, and they are the two most highly talented Masters on these mountains. I, for one, would be glad to lose a Master to the Neutral Order if it meant that Lilia found her match. There is mutual attraction there, I am certain of it."

Rey chuckled, "That's what I thought you were up to, old man. You can't ever just stay out of things, can you? That's alright; I like it when you meddle. I don't know how you know the things you know, but you really know your stuff."

Ben stared at his wife for a moment, "I suppose in some alternate reality, that made some sick sort of sense, but for me, that was completely confusing."

Rey giggled girlishly, "That's alright; Luke understood what I meant, didn't you, Uncle?"

Luke chuckled along and nodded amicably, "Of course I did, but then it's not terribly likely that I'd say anything different, is it?"

Ben shook his head and tossed his hands in the air, "I give up. I'm going to bed, if anyone wanted to join me..."

From the bedrooms, they heard a chorus of "eeeew" from the twins's room, as well as Anakin and Leia's rooms. Luke tossed up his hood, his right hand glinting in the firelight as he chuckled and headed for the Jedi Academy, alone, while Ben swept Rey into his arms, carrying her to their room.

Meanwhile, Finn and Twila had reached their own house, and Twila had wasted no time in stripping out of her robes and wrapping her arms around her husband's neck, nibbling his ear playfully. Finn groaned as he drew away from her slightly to remove his own outer robe and begin to strip off his tunic as Twila trailed kisses down his torso. Completely oblivious and unable to feel her ministrations, Finn wondered aloud, "You don't think Ben and Rey are hiding something from us, do you? I mean, they did sort of rush us out of there..." Just then, Twila freed Finn's member from his trousers and wrapped her talented lips around it, teasing it with her tongue. Finn shuddered and gasped, "Then again, it doesn't seem so important now.. .Then again, it _did_ seem important – did you _see_ the look on Rey's face?"

On an exasperated sigh, Twila removed Finn's member from her mouth and stood, hands on her naked hips, and her intact lek'ku twitching in irritation. "Of _course_ they're hiding something from us! Lilia is half in love with Matthew, and he is with her as well, and if you had half the brains you were _born_ with, you'd have seen that, as well!" Twila turned on her heel and stormed into their bedroom, her bare backside bouncing and swaying tantalizingly as she moved.

Finn sucked in a breath, knowing he had well and truly put his foot in it this time, "I'm sorry, Twila. You know how I get sometimes," Twila snorted and crossed her arms across her breasts, "Really, love, I'm sorry. Come here, pick up where you were, I'll finish undressing, and I _promise_ I'll shut up."

Twila watched him for a moment before rolling her eyes and scoffing, "Yeah, I'll believe that when I see it. You? Quiet? Never gonna happen."

Finn was true to his word, and before long, he could not take any more; he swept his wife into his arms and carried her to the low bed they shared, sinking onto it gently as he stroked her good lek'ku gently, sensuously. She trembled beneath him, and he felt himself go hard as stone. She opened for him and he sank gratefully into her, sighing as he pumped his hips gently, working them both towards a gentle climax. They sighed together one last time as they fell into sleep immediately.

***Author's Note***

Yaaay! Lots of plot. I like plot. Plot is good, don't you think? Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I did. Thanks for reading and - you guessed it - leave a review, if you'd like!


	5. Chapter 5

***Author's Note***

Alrighty, then! Here's another chapter for you, my dears! We've got a bit more backstory and a good bit of plot, besides! We've got a

bit of a surprise coming in a couple chapters, I hope you're all ready for it! Enjoy!

***End Note***

Within three days, arrangements had been made for Ben, Rey, Finn, Twila, Luke, Thamian, and Huur to go to Coruscant to speak with Chancellor Organa; Chewie had decided to stay behind to help Lilia look after the Younglings. Within the first year after the Fall of the First Order (As it had come to be known), the galaxy had been lost and floundering; the Republic was gone, and so was the order. No one knew where to go or who to follow, let alone what sort of government was established. The former General had known that _something_ had to be done, so Leia Organa had taken emergency control and had begun to re-establish the New Republic, starting from scratch. The first three years had been chaotic, to say the least. There was civil war, rebellion, First Order loyalists, and general unrest and lawlessness. The newly-established Jedi and Neutral Orders had become instrumental in restoring order to the galaxy, as was their intended purpose. The Academies had so few Padawans in those days that Ben, Rey, Finn, Twila, and Luke had been able to take Leia's missions in shifts.

It began with a single, desperate messenger from the then-Acting-Chancellor to her beloved son, who had still been recovering from the loss of his twin and adjusting to being the father of twins, himself. Ben and Rey had known, however, that they could not ignore such a summons and loaded up the _Falcon_ with their dozen students, shoved some bunk beds anywhere they could find room, and stocked the old freighter with enough food for a few months, hoping desperately that it would be enough, and rushed to Coruscant. Leia had sent them forthwith to Naboo, which had been tearing itself apart. Naboo had been one of the most devastated planets, as Padme had ordered all of the high-ranking officials murdered, not to mention the slaughter of the Twi'leks. Ben and Rey had left the twins and Younglings on the _Falcon_ with Finn, Twila, and Luke to keep the twins safe and continue training the youngsters, returning in the evenings. It had taken the better part of a month to get things settled on Naboo. They had to completely re-establish the government there and appoint new governors, senators, judges, local law enforcement, and so on, all while trying to quell local rebellion. They had finally gathered together all of the separatist groups to discuss what exactly they wanted from their government. Ben and Rey had taken judicious notes and reported their findings back to Leia, who had weighed in and they had also allowed the locals to put in their opinions on who should lead them; they had to admit, the locals had made some excellent choices. Their skills had been tested to their limits on Naboo, though no planet was quite so difficult after that.

For the next three years, they had gone from planet to planet, using the _Falcon_ as a sort of mobile Jedi Academy. Those first three years, they had spent a total of perhaps six or nine months on Takodana. On the other hand, the Padawans had received invaluable knowledge from the experience. Lilia had been one of those Padawans, and she had proven to be one of the most diplomatically-inclined of all the students. Every one of them had grown into extraordinary young men and women, and their Masters could not be more proud. The other benefit to being sent all around the galaxy as they had been was that they had quickly become well-known, and after about their third planet, they were greeted gladly and openly. People had heard of their wisdom and kindness towards the locals, as well as their willingness to listen to what the _locals_ wanted from their government. Before long, they had parents begging them to test their children for Force-Potential, and even a number of orphans that needed testing. It got to the point where they promised to come once a year to test prospective youngsters, and their parents were more than happy to allow such training; some even sent their children with allowances or donated some money to the Academies to aid in the cost of such an establishment. Before long, the reputation of the Orders had grown into one of great respect, and they were given the authority that they required.

Once the New Republic had been re-established, Leia had held the reins of command for nearly four years, and she decided it was time to step down and allow someone else to take command. As news of this trickled through the galaxy, there was a great outcry form the people. Leia was regarded as the hero that had saved them three times now; first from the Empire, then the First Order, and now from themselves. Their point of view was that no one else could possibly understand their needs or desires so well as she did. The argument had gone on for three weeks until Leia had finally said that she would compromise with them. She asked each planet to set forth a candidate and there would be an election for the seat of Chancellor. They had done as she asked, and set forth their very best candidates – and to be fair, they were all exceptionally qualified – the election had gone as planned, and in the end, the people had spoken. It had been an overwhelming landslide in Leia's favor. It seemed that many still viewed her as a Princess and believed that, since she had been raised to rule, she would have the best chance of success. Leia had relented, and she remained Chancellor to this day, and would do so until she retired, died, or was voted out with a vote of No Confidence, though Ben doubted that would ever happen. He knew his mother wouldn't be Chancellor forever, let alone the rest of _his_ life, but he feared who might replace her. If it was someone who did not wish to work with the Jedi and Neutral Orders, there would be trouble from the people, and their jobs would become much more difficult. There had been nearly twelve long years of peace now, and Ben did not want to see it crumble over stubbornness.

"All these years, and I still feel a sense of pride when I think about what we helped my mother accomplish," Ben said to the seemingly-empty cockpit.

Thamian chuckled from behind him, his familiar and comforting booming base, "I don't know when I'll stop being surprised by your perception, Scarface." Ben and Thamian chuckled at the old joke, "Sure, and you lot should be proud. I certainly am proud of the lot of you. I'm sure Huur will say the same."

From the hallway, Huur chuckled, "Indeed. We would all be in there with you, however too large are two of us, I think. How you walk in here, I do not know; I must nearly crawl, myself!" Huur had been forced to leave all but two of his guards on Takodana, as there was barely room on the _Falcon_ for two of them, as it was. The only reason they had not taken separate ships was haste, plain and simple. The _Falcon_ was still the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy, so they had crammed on board amid much grumbling and complaining.

Ben grinned at the massive feline creature, "Well, it's not _my_ fault you Togorians are such massive beasts. Don't take it out on my wife's ship; she'll have your enormous, furry head if you do!"

Rey chuckled from further down the hall, "That's right, I will. Now, if you don't mind getting your furry butt out of my face, I'd like to get past!" The entire hall dissolved into hysterical laughter as Huur humphed and sat on his haunches, waiting as Rey stumbled past him. "I think there should only be normally-sized humans near the cockpit from now until we return to Takodana." Ben smiled and nodded in agreement. The smile fell away as Rey stared at him, her brow raised expectantly, "That means you, string bean. You're not exactly what I'd call normally-sized; you're massive! The only difference between you and Thamian's size is that he's far bulkier than you are!"

Ben flushed, but grinned as Rey laughed at the expression on his face, "Okay, fine. But Twila's in charge of cooking. I don't want to eat any cave lizards on this trip." Ben ducked and dashed down the hall, weaving between limbs and barely escaping his wife's fist, laughing like a maniac.

Rey stared sternly after her troublesome husband for a moment before her face split into a wide grin, "And you wonder where the twins get their mischief nature! I'm sure you and your sister drove your poor mother to distraction."

Ben smiled, just a hint of sadness in his eyes as he remembered his beloved twin, "That, we did. She threatened to flog us on a daily basis. Death threats were usually a weekly thing."

Poe rolled his eyes as he pushed his way towards the cockpit, checking their progress to Coruscant, "We've got about thirteen hours left; that's enough time for dinner and bed. So; Twila? What's for dinner."

Twila growled menacingly at Poe and said in a playfully vicious voice, "Your foot if you keep asking me that!" The entire hall burst into laughter again as she danced her way through the mass of flesh and fur, heading for the galley. "I'll let you know when dinner's ready, though I doubt you'll need me to tell you; you'll smell it long before I call you!" After a long, loud dinner among friends, they went to the rooms they would be using (Poe and Thamian were to share, as were Huur and his guard, Thorn) and shut themselves in for the night.

The next morning brought with it their first peek of Coruscant in nearly three years. It had been quite some time since there were any problems serious enough to involve the Orders, for which everyone was very grateful. Before the sun had fully risen, the _Falcon_ was resting on one of the main landing pads just outside the Chancellor's palace and they were standing at the foot of the landing ramp, blinking in the early morning air as the sun began to peak over the buildings around them. Huur and Thorn straightened thankfully to their full height, gaining themselves some nervous glances from the Chancellor's guards. Just then, a door opened and a procession of ornately-dressed officials hurried towards them. From their center, a small, graceful woman burst from the center of the group, her elegant dress billowing around her ankles and her elaborate headdress clinging haphazardly to her chestnut hair as she raced towards the group of Masters and their friends. The remaining officials hastened after their charge as Leia threw her arms around her only remaining child and held him tightly to her as he officials chided her gently, "Oh, now, you shoo! Don't you think I know my own son? Don't you give me this 'it might have been anyone' nonsense! I know each and every one of these fine folks! The great Togorian there with the piercing blue eyes and midnight fur is the Leader of Togoria, Huur and his bodyguard, Thorn. The mountainous man with the wild red mane of hair and equally wild red beard is Captain Thamian Rar, smuggler and friend to both the New Republic and both of the Orders. As for the rest, the Twi'lek is Master Doroturo, the man to her right is her mate, Master No-Nerves. This sweet little thing is my daughter-in-law, Master Rey Solo, and the swarthy one is my son, Master Ben Solo. Then there's the blind old man in the back; that would be my twin brother, Master Skywalker. Unless, of course, you think I don't know my own son and brother?"

The delegate behind the Chancellor paled and began stammering, clearly terrified, "Of c-c-course not, Ch-ch-ch-chancellor. It w-was only a p-p-p-rec-c-c-aut-t-t-tion..."

Ben and Leia caught each others' eyes and glanced away, snorting with laughter, "Please, sir; forgive my mother's sense of what she calls humor. Believe me, you're not the only victim to that particular ploy! I've been falling prey to it my entire life! Now, we're here on business, so let's discuss some business, but perhaps over breakfast? It seems we underestimated how much two fully-grown Togorians need to eat! The _Falcon_ is completely out of food! Can you believe it? Of course, when you add Thamian to the equation, I suppose you've solved the mystery..."

Thamian roared with laughter as he wrapped a massive, gentle arm around the Chancellor's shoulders, "We-hel, now; I'd be grateful for a breakfast of lovely eggs, ham, bacon, potatoes, of course there must be cheese, and bread, oh! And of course there must be tea. And of course it must be enough for the lot of us...extra on the meats," he added in a whisper so loud that the guards standing by the entrance to the palace had to smother grins while Huur growled with laughter and his guard smothered a growl.

"Be still, Thorn. He means well; it is his humor, that is all. He means no disrespect. If the Captain makes jokes at your expense, an honor it is. Believe me, I have fought beside this man. He is an honorable one, and gladly would I do it again."

After much fussing and prodding of the kitchen staff, three hours later, the whole group sat at an enormous dining table (which they nearly filled, as three of their number needed two chairs a piece) and began to talk business over breakfast. "All right, Mother; what was so important that you couldn't tell your messenger? I know you. If it was so simple, you'd have sent a holocron that would give me all the details. Of course, partially you wanted to see me in person, which is fine, but you know you're always safe and welcome on Takodana. So. What's so important that you couldn't risk it falling into the wrong hands?"

Finn, Twila, Rey, and Luke stopped eating and leaned forward, each grasping their tea and taking a sip as one. Leia raised an eyebrow, "Gee; I'm starting to understand what they mean when they say that 'Jedi-types' are a bit... _odd_. Did you five plan that one or did it just happen luckily?" Luke smirked into his tea, "Ah, so it's luck, then. I see. Well, as it happens, you are right. It's true that I have no clue who it might be that is taking all of this action, but we've been getting reports that I don't much like. Ben, there was always one thing about the end of the Order that didn't sit well with me. Once Padme was gone, they just seemed to _vanish_. Well, now I'm beginning to wonder if they haven't just been sitting in the shadows, waiting and serving some new master. I hate to be the one to tell you this, Ben, but...it would seem the Knights of Ren are back."

***Author's Note***

Dun dun duuuun! *ahem* Sorry about that! Anywho, hope you liked the chapter! This story is so much fun to write that it just seems to write itself! Thanks, as always, for reading, and don't hesitate to leave a review, if you'd like! I always love reading them. Well, until tomorrow night, goodnight!


	6. Chapter 6

***Author's Note***

Woooo! Long chapter, this one. So, massive plot in this chapter, and a good bit of epicness (I hope). Little bit of romantic beginnings, too! Hope you lot enjoy!

***End Note***

No one around the table spoke. Every head turned towards Ben, who had paled. "Mother...are you sure? How can you be sure?"

Leia sighed and looked down at her hands, clasped on the table before she spoke, "I wasn't sure, not until recently. First there was the fact that we never managed to find any of them after the Fall. Then more recently, there have been entire villages vanishing over night, with no survivors. It was confirmed, however, when I heard that Force-Sensitive children have been disappearing for the last fifteen years. At first, I thought nothing of it, assuming that it was just recruitment for the Orders, but then they were never heard from again. Ben, they've stolen enough children these past fifteen years to have an entire _army_."

Ben slammed his hands on the table and stood, fingers splayed, "Mother, how could you not have told us about this!?"

Leia raised her hands defensively, "Ben, calm down. I've only been hearing rumors, nothing certain until one of my house staff got a holo from her sister. Her sister's son was one of the first taken, fifteen years ago. Their village was raided last month by assailants in black robes and metal masks wielding light-sabers. The woman managed to take the mask off of one of them, only to find her lost son's face beneath it. I didn't want to cause a panic by raising a false alarm, so I didn't let you know until I had irrefutable proof. There had been recent sightings of a figure cloaked in black wielding a weapon that seems to draw the light from the air. Ben, I'm afraid there can be no doubt now. The Darksaber has resurfaced.

Ben sighed, laying his face in his right hand while his cybernetic hand drummed on the table with a staccato _clink-clink-clink-clink_ , "So, what do we do, Mother? Where do we even _start_ to look for the Bearer?"

The Force thrummed suddenly, announcing the arrival of Ben's father, Han Solo, "You'll do what you always do once you stop whining: What needs to be done. You'll step up, and you'll take care of it. But it's worse than you know."

A sigh ran around the table, "It usually is. What is it this time?" Poe groaned.

Han's sardonic chuckle echoed eerily through the room, "Even _I_ can't figure out who the new Bearer is, but that's not the real worry. Fear has begun to spread through the galaxy again. It's like a sick wave that's washing over every planet in its wake. You can almost track the Bearer's movements by the wave of fear."

Ben's brow knit together, "Okay, so we may be able to figure out our Mystery Man's next move, right?"

Han nodded, his eyes grave, "Ben, I think I know where he's going, and if I'm right, there's no way to beat this guy there – he may be there already." Ben felt a sick, hard knot form in his stomach. Somehow, he thought he already knew what his father's spirit would say. "He's heading for Takodana, and there's only one reason why he'd do that."

Rey and Twila shot to their feet, "The children!" Cried Twila, "Not my babies!"

Luke stood suddenly, his hands held out for silence, his mouth set in a grim line, "We all need to take a deep breath and _think_ for a moment. Obviously, whoever this is has a grudge against the Orders, and it's likely that they have a grudge with at _least_ one person at this very table. So, if you wanted to discredit the Orders beyond repair, how would you do it?"

To everyone's surprise, it was Thamian that came up with the likeliest answer, after much deliberation. "The children," came his low rumble, "They're going to take the children. Wiping the younglings out has been done before, but the Order recovered. But if they take the littles and turn them to the Dark Side, no one would trust you again – especially if your own children were among those turned. I don't think they'll bother with the older students, just those under, say, eleven? They'll come fast, and they'll come quiet. If I were them, I'd take them in the light of day and leave the others alive – it spreads more fear that way. Also, it makes the Orders look worse. If an assault were to happen on the Academies in broad daylight and the littles taken...it would be devastating. Our only hope to repair the damage would be to go out in force to get them back, and I'm talking _every_ Padawan left. There would be no leaving them behind, I think."

Han nodded, "That goes along with my thinking. I think..." his eyes unfocused for a moment, "Yes, it's happening now. All that you can do is to hurry back."

Hurr's enraged growl ripped through the room, causing hair to stand on end throughout the room, and even his guard backed away a few steps, "Then why do we wait!?" he roared.

Ben nodded, "I agree with Huur. We should leave now."

Leia stood and rushed to her son, throwing her arms around his waist, "I agree, son; be safe, and bring them home. I love you."

Ben smiled and squeezed his mother gently, "I love you, too. I'll be safe, don't worry." Ben turned on his heel, sprinting for the door with the others hard on his heels. Ben reached the _Falcon_ before anyone else, having sped his steps with the Force in his haste and fear. Heading for the cockpit, he began preparing it for takeoff so that Poe would be able to launch as soon as he arrived. _What will we find when we get there, I wonder?_

The Twins

It was nearing lunch time, and Finn's stomach growled loudly. Rubbing his shoulder absently, he pouted at his twin, "I'm hungry."

Padme frowned at him, "Shut up. We brought this on ourselves; we really could have hurt someone this time, Finn! Father's right – we haven't shown ourselves to be worthy of the Order. He was right to take our light-sabers. We're going to do our time without complaint, because we deserve it, and then we are going to stop being so wild and _grow up_. We're fifteen, for goodness' sake, Finn! We should start acting like it."

Finn recoiled at his sister's vehemence, flushing with shame as he looked down at the ground he was plowing as an elder villager watched over them carefully, "I know," he said quietly, "You're right. I shouldn't have convinced you to do it. I don't know what I was thinking. I guess I _have_ gotten...arrogant. Father and Mother won't always be around to get us out of trouble, so we really do need to think first. Uncle Luke must be very disappointed in us, not to mention Uncle Finn." Finn looked up into his sister's eyes with determination in hi own, "I promise to do better."

Her thought came to him, _Promise me, Finn. Right now, mind-to-mind. You know you can't like in your thoughts, Finn. Promise me, here and now, that we're going to do better and honor the robes we wear and the parents we love._ Finn narrowed his eyes and sighed, knowing he'd been beaten, _I promise, my twin. We will get better, and cause our parents no further shame._

Padme grinned at her brother and flung her arms around him, elated. Seconds later, the pair froze, "Did you hear that?" Padme whispered. Finn nodded and listened harder; the early winter wind was blowing hard, and clouds above them promised to dump the first snow of the season.

There, on the wind, they heard it again, "Help me! Someone, please help!" It was unmistakable this time; there was someone lost out on the plains, and it was a child, from the sound of it. It was easy to get lost on the plains, if you didn't know where you were going or how to navigate them safely.

Finn glanced at his sister, the question plain in his eyes. Padme chewed her lip for a moment, glancing at their jailer before nodding, once, with steel in her eyes. As one, they launched themselves over the fence at the edge of the field and sprinted into the oncoming storm, the elder shouting after them, "What are you two doing!? You can't go out there! Snow is going to fall any moment, and you'll be stuck out there!"

Neither of the twins even slowed. Conversely, they poured the Force through their limbs, forcing themselves to move faster. Within moments, they were out of sight of the village. They heard the terrified child again and altered their course accordingly, just as the snow began to fall. At last, they thought the child was near and stopped, but they found no child. Instead, there were four massive forms swathed in black robes, their faces concealed behind metallic masks. The four men (were they men?) chuckled cruelly, "Oh, help me! Help me, please, someone help!" One of the men whined in imitation of a child's voice, mocking them, "You two truly are as foolish as your parents. Don't worry. Our Master will see to them soon enough, but first...I think we'll have a little fun with you two. Don't worry; we won't kill you. We'll let the storm do that for us!" All four lit their light-sabers, surrounding the twins seamlessly.

Finn reached out and took Padme's had, feeling both her fear and her defiance as the Force swirled out from the pair of them, causing a whirlwind of snow and rocks. They pushed the whirlwind towards their assailants, knocking them back a few steps. "Oooh, look! Kitties know how to play!" the largest of them giggled madly.

Finn and Padme sprung apart, keeping constant mental contact, as they'd been taught and began launching everything they could lift with the Force at the men. Massive chunks of earth were ripped up and flung towards the menacing figures, only to be stopped by a light-saber. In an eyeblink, the four were on them, separating the twins. Finn ducked under one light-saber, catching the wrist holding another and lashing out with a powerful side kick, catching one of them in the gut and knocking the breath out of him. Padme was in a similar situation, dancing through the blades with ease and grace, landing her own powerful blows as she danced. At first, the men were taken aback by their ferocity and skill, and it looked for a moment like they may well win, but then one of them caught Finn in the arm with his blade, causing him to shriek with pain. The sound distracted Padme, just long enough for one of her assailants to catch her in the ribs. The twins fell to the ground, panting and gasping with pain and exhaustion. The four men stood over them, laughing, "Well, I doubt you'll have any breath left by the time you're found, but just in case, tell your Father that his Knights have not forgiven his betrayal." The man that had spoken dropped a shining metal mask beside them, where it laid, gleaming. Two of them advanced again and bashed the twins over the head with the butts of their light-sabers, knocking them cold.

Lilia

Lilia stood before her class, demonstrating the proper methods of the two-handed fighting style when she felt it. There was a tremor in the Force, and it sent a chill into her bones. She wasn't the only one who felt it, either; all around the practice ring, her students were turning to look into the distance, where massive transport shuttles were nearing the mountain. In the distance, they could see matching transports approaching the Jedi mountain, as well. Lilia didn't need the Force to tell her that whoever had arrived did _not_ have tea on their minds, "Padawans! Take shelter, quickly! Those of you who are over the age of eleven, light your blades and come with me! Masters, gather in the square!" She sent the call out with her mind, as well, putting as much urgency into her words as she could, though her heart pounded and her hand shook with fear. Most of the Masters had never seen battle, but there were a few that had lived through the Battle of D'Qar as well as the Battle of Kashyyk; to these, Lilia shouted, "Those of you with combat experience, take the lead! Be ready for assault! Protect the younglings at all costs!"

The training fields were a sudden rush of confusing activity as the older students took charge of the littles and hurried them into the Academy, hoping to stay out of sight and safe. Lilia heard many of the children crying as they ran, and the sound of it tore at her heart. As she rushed to join the others, she saw the five remaining Togorians that had stayed behind when Huur had left; she ran up to them, hoping that they'd follow her orders. "You five! I know I have no right to command you, but there is imminent danger. Will you help us?"

Just then, Hrii, Huur's youngest daughter, hurried up to Lilia, terror in her eyes. At only seventeen, the young Togorian was already six feet tall, easily towering over Lilia; she would reach at least nine feet tall by the time she stopped growing. She had inherited her father's jet-black fur and piercing blue eyes; her feline tail was lashing back and forth in agitation, "Master, what do I do?"

Lilia glanced at the older Togorians, who nodded, "We will fight with you, Master Dameron. We will protect the daughter of Huur."

Sighing in relief, Lilia answered the terrified Padawan, "You're going to stay with me, Hrii. Your father's guards will make sure you're safe. Keep your light-saber at the ready, and remember all that I've taught you. Your life truly depends on it this time!" Hrii nodded, a fierce gleam in her eyes. Looking towards the transports, Lilia saw that the first of them had landed already. As she watched, great figures in robes of stark black with metallic masks and red light-sabers. A cold lump of fear formed in her chest, "Knights of Ren! These are Knights of Ren! Be on your guard!" Lilia shouted the warning as loud as she could with voice _and_ mind. She sensed first shock, then fear, followed by grim determination as the other Masters and Padawans absorbed the information as transport after transport offloaded their cargo, Lilia felt another thrill of fear shiver down her spine.

That was the last moment that Lilia had time to think. At that point, she got her first up-close-and-personal look at a real, live Knight of Ren, and he was _not_ going to go easy on her. She set her jaw and brought up her left blade to stop his in midair. She spun quickly, slashing her light-saber through his gut, nearly cutting him in two. Lilia shook for a moment as she saw him fall to the ground, blood everywhere. Shaking it off, Lilia sprung forward to her next opponent. One after another fell before her twin blades as she dashed here and there, surrounded by the massive Togorians, with Hrii by her side, roaring like a panther. For the longest time, Lilia noticed nothing but those around her and the next blade that met her own. Suddenly, something odd got through the battle haze: They weren't killing anyone. In fact, they seemed to be going _easy_ on them! In a flash of foresight, Lilia knew, without a doubt, what they were after. "The children! Protect the children! Everyone, back to the main dormitories!" In her moment of distraction, a light-saber bit into her shoulder-blade, blinding Lilia with pain as she fell to the ground. She struggled to her feet, turning to meet the threat, only to be lifted into the air and thrown across the field, into the wall of the building, knocking her unconscious.

When Lilia finally woke, it was pitch black and she knew at once that something was terribly wrong. It was too quiet. She couldn't put her finger on it, but there was definitely something horribly wrong. Then, it struck her: There were no crying children. Lilia lurched to her feet, the wound on her back throbbing nauseatingly, causing her to stumble. She thrust out her hands, calling her light-sabers to her and clipping them on her belt. The first thing she saw was the sheer number of wounded, dead, and dying; most of the latter groups were Knights of Ren, and precious few Masters or Padawans were among the dead and dying. The next thing she noticed was the _stink_. The stench of death was heavy in the air, as was the smell of smoke. Turning towards the main part of the school, Lilia sprinted towards it, fear in her heart. As she neared the main dormitories, she saw that the door had been blasted in. It was completely empty – they had taken the children. Even the Leia and Han Solo had been taken; Lilia fell to her knees, a lump in her throat as a sob rose in her throat. Behind her, she heard footsteps and a quick intake of breath.

"Lilia! Are you alright?" Matthew Shellac laid a gentle hand on her shoulder and she leaned into him, unable to keep the sob in. "Shhh, now, shhh. It's going to be alright. I'm not sure how, but it will be. Right now, I'm just worried about _you_. Your robes are _covered_ in blood! Are you hurt?" Lilia nodded, tears still streaming down her face. "Okay, hold still; I need to see how bad the damage is." Matthew moved her robe and tunic down far enough so that he could see the gash on her shoulder-blade. "Well, I'm not going to lie; it's pretty bad, but I think I can handle it. Hold still." Lilia nodded as Matthew laid his hand on her bare flesh; she felt warmth move through his hand and into her back, hissing as the skin and muscle knit back together under his hand. "Better?"

Lilia nodded and wiped her face on her filthy sleeve, further smearing it with blood and muck. She took the hand he offered her and got to her feet, staggering into him as exhaustion rushed through her. She found herself staring up into his stunning green eyes. He was massively tall at six-and-one-half feet with bright red hair and attractively weathered skin. His chest was broad (though he was nowhere near as tall as Thamian) and thick ropes of muscle wound their way through his torso, making it very difficult to think when she was in his arms like this. He flushed as her blue eyes stared into his green ones, letting her go and stepping back as though she had burned him, "Uh, good. I'm, uh, glad that you're, uh, safe. We should really go and see to the others, though."

Lilia grabbed hold of his sleeve, "The Jedi! How did you fare on your mountain?"

Matthew crumpled somewhat, "We fared the same. All the littles are gone; they took every Padawan under the age of eleven."

"Matthew...They took little Han and Leia." Lilia's voice cracked and her eyes welled with tears again.

He staggered back as though she had struck him, "No. Are you sure?" Lilia nodded numbly, "What will the Masters say?"

Just then, there was a tremor in the Force, "Speaking of the Masters...That would be them now."

They made their way outside, Matthew's hand resting on Lilia's shoulder, just as the _Falcon_ landed carefully in the midst of the chaos. Lilia felt fear clench her gut for the third time in one day, squared her shoulders, and marched off to meet her judgment. Ben was the first down the ramp, leaving the others to follow in his wake, "Lilia! Matthew! How bad is it? How hard were we hit?"

Lilia shook her head, lost for words as her eyes spilled over with tears, "They're all gone, Master Solo. All the littles. Every Padawan under the age of eleven has been taken, including Leia and Han." Twila caught Lilia's gaze, her face a picture of parental anxiety, "T'arla and Jar'lek are among those that were taken, Master Doroturo. I'm so sorry. I've failed you all."

"No," said Ben in a firm but gentle voice, "No, you did not fail us. Given the carnage that I'm seeing here, you all put up one hell of a fight. Your robes are covered in blood, which tells me that you fought until it was done. There's blood caked in your hair, so I'd figure you were knocked out. This was an army, no question about that, and we were unprepared. They caught us with our guard down, and it will never happen again. We'll have to regroup and figure out what our next move will be."

Just then, Rey grabbed Ben's arm, her fingers curled into claws, "Lilia? Where are the twins? I can't sense them anywhere."

Lilia gasped and paled, "They...They never came back from the village this afternoon! I...I don't know what happened to them, Masters. There's been too much going on up here. I'll put together some volunteers to help us search; give me ten minutes, Masters, and I'll be ready." Lilia rushed off to see who was still alive, and who was well enough to help search.

***Author's Note***

Ooooh, I'm definitely not pulling any punches with this one! I'm pure evil, and I know it! I hate to leave you like this, but...Oh, wait! No, I don't! Hahahaha. Sorry, but you know you love my cliffhangers. ^_^ Thanks for reading, as always, and leave a review, if you'd like. No, seriously; I love reviews. I love reading what y'all have to say about my work! Thanks, all. Lots of love!


	7. Chapter 7

***Author's Note***

Good evening, once again! So, bit of a nail biter this chapter. I'm absolutely loving this story, and I am having so much fun writing it! Hope you're enjoying it as much as I am.

***End Note***

The Twins

Finn and Padme woke together, ice and snow caked on their robes, hair, and eyelashes. _Are you alright?_ Finn thought at Padme. She nodded, and Finn had to concentrate hard to hear her weak mind-voice, _Yes...Are you...terribly hurt?_ Finn sighed in relief and shook his head, _No, it's just my arm. How are your ribs?_ Padme took a deep breath, and Finn didn't need an answer. A wave of nauseating pain rolled through him over their Force-Bond, and he had to focus to keep from losing the contents of his stomach. What little color there was in Padme's face drained away and her eyes unfocused as she swayed unsteadily. Finn caught her and pulled her to him, removing both of their cloaks for only a moment before putting them back on so that they were enclosed in a tent-like structure. Finn put his sister's hood up before his own, catching a glimpse of a nasty clump of blood-matted hair where she'd been hit with the butt of a light-saber – much harder than Finn had been, it seemed. _Okay, so let's think for a second. Realistically, I don't think we can move you, and I don't think my arm would hold if I tried to carry you, anyway. I think our best option is to reach out with the Force and bring help to us._

Padme's dull, unfocused eyes met Finn's and she nodded, leaning into his shoulder, seeking further warmth. Together, they merged their remaining strength and reached as far as they could in all directions. To their dismay, there was no one within range. The unthinkable occurred to them, then: No one knew they were missing, and no one was looking for them! Unwilling to give in so easily, Finn tried again and again as the wind blew harder, the snow fell faster, and it grew far colder as the light began to fade. Just as it became difficult to concentrate, Finn sensed the most wonderful person he could have hoped for – their father. Finn reached for him as best he could, hoping his father would hear him. Weakly, he thought, _Father! It's Finn! Padme...and I are...lost...We need...help...wounded...find...us..._ Finn lost the connection as he fell unconscious beside his already-unconscious sister.

Ben/Rey/Lilia/Finn/Twila

It didn't take long to gather together a search party to find the twins. Finn, Twila, Chewie, and Lilia volunteered, which was no surprise. Slightly more surprising was that so did Hrii, Matthew, and a number of other Masters. Poe, Luke, Thamian, and Huur stayed behind to look after the wounded and the remaining Padawans. The search party headed for the Neutral Force Village, as that was the last place the twins had been seen. Lilia had informed them that Finn and Padme had been serving their punishment in the Village, last she'd seen them. The small group ran, pell-mell down the mountain, caring little if they tripped or rolled an ankle, such was the haste of Ben and Rey. At last, after what felt like hours, the small group reached the foot of the path and started onto the road that led to the Village proper. As the Village came into sight, they noticed a flurry of activity in the falling snow; it seemed as though half the Village was gathered in the Square. Almost immediately, they were spotted by one of the elders, who came running over to them, his coat billowing in the wind, "Thank the Powers you're safe! We saw the transports pass overhead, and we saw them return, but no one came down from the mountain, so we feared the worst! The twins were here, Masters Solo. They were working in the fields, plowing, when they both looked off into the distance, like they'd heard their names. They sprinted off, faster than anything I've ever seen, and that's the last I saw of them. This storm came out of nowhere, Masters. This morning, it was clear and bright, and we figured we had a few weeks yet before the first snow fell, and then these clouds came in. The snow started about twenty minutes after they vanished, which would have been around noon, so about...four, maybe five hours ago, now?"

Rey clutched at Ben's arm, "Thank you, Elder. This information has been most useful. Ben, they wouldn't have run off like that without reason. Something must have happened. Maybe they sensed something?"

Ben shook his head slowly, uncertain, "Elder; which way did they go?" The gray-haired man pointed past the fields in the direction the twins had gone in, and Ben nodded, "Thank you, Elder. We are in your debt."

Without another word spoken, Ben and Rey sprung forward as one, feeding their limbs through the Force, and urging them ever faster as they reached out, looking for their eldest children. A sick feeling in the pit of Rey's stomach began to form as they passed further and further away from the Village, and still there was no sign of the children. _Ben, what could have happened to draw them this far away from the Village?_

Ben's brow drew together, _I dread to think, my Light._ The pair rushed forward, fear growing as they still sensed nothing from Finn or Padme.

Suddenly, Ben felt a familiar presence and skidded to a sudden halt; the weak mind-voice that he heard chilled him to the bone in a way that the snow never could. _Father! It's Finn! Padme...and I are...lost...We need...help...wounded...find...us..._ Ben paled and he saw the blood drain out of Rey's face, also; she'd heard the desperate message over their Bond, "Ben, we must hurry!" Ben nodded, reaching for Rey and combining his strength with hers, stretching as far as they could until, at last, they found what they had been looking for. There were two small, weak points of light out there in the growing darkness. "Go!" Rey cried, her voice cracking with strain. They both reached for the other Masters, hoping they would hear in time, _We've found them! They are very weak, and wounded! Come at speed!_ They sent the location of the weak Force Signatures along with the message, hoping that it would be enough.

Finally, they broke into a clearing that seemed to be the worst hit by this mysterious storm. Ben and Rey rushed to the center of the clearing, dreading what they might find. Quickly, they brushed snow away, finding their lost children curled around each other, their lips blue with the cold. Rey let loose a wordless cry, flinging herself forward and carefully lifting Padme as Ben lifted Finn. Just then, Chewie burst through the snow, roaring; when he caught sight of Padme, he swept her into his arms, tearing her from Rey's grasp. For a moment, Rey nearly struck out at him, until she realized that the simple truth was that Chewie was far stronger, physically, than she would ever be, and this left all of her strength and concentration free to increase the small, oddly-burdened party to move faster through the Force. She fed Chewie's limbs, as well as her own, with the Force, allowing the aging Wookie to keep up with Ben and herself as they ran at top speed back towards the Village. Lilia and the others arrived as Ben, Rey, and Chewie sprinted past them. Taking charge, she began barking orders, "Matthew, Master Doroturo! Please go with them; they might need protection." Twila and Matthew nodded before turning on their heels and sprinting after the others, their robes flapping madly in the wind. "The rest of you, please help me to search this clearing; there may be some sign here that will tell us what happened to the twins! Whatever we find, I fear it won't be good news." It took nearly an hour to search the whole clearing, but at last, Finn called that he had found something. Lilia hurried to his side, along with the other Masters in the clearing. Finn stood with his back to them, holding something; he was as still as stone, and said nothing as he turned to show them what he'd found. In his hands was the unmistakable mask of the Knights of Ren.

The Twins

Finn lurched to wakefulness, confused and disoriented, "Padme," he whispered, barely able to speak. Trying again, he forced his voice to work, "Padme? Padme! _PADME_!" As his sister did not respond, Finn grew more and more frantic, screaming until he felt his throat tear and tasted blood. Suddenly, a door was thrown open, and his father rushed into the room.

"Shh, Finn, shh. It's okay. Padme's just in the other room; she's still unconscious. She's going to be just fine. Finn, what happened?"

Finn sobbed in relief, unable to answer as tears streamed from his eyes and soaked into the pillow hi head laid on. He took in his surroundings for a moment, now that he knew he and Padme were safe. It seemed they were in a stone cabin with a wooden roof; the Village, it must be. It made sense for them to be brought here, as it was far closer than the Academy. Finn wiped his face with his left hand, discovering that his right arm had been bound and strapped to his chest. "We were working in the fields," Finn began in a croak, "We were talking about what we'd done, and how we deserved our punishment when we heard something. We got really quiet, listening; we thought it was a child that had gotten lost on the plains, so we ran off. We knew we'd be in trouble, but the way the storm had formed out of nowhere that morning, we figured if we didn't help, the poor kid would probably die, so we went. We found where we thought the kid was, but there _was_ no kid. It was four huge dudes; I think they were Knights of Ren, like you told us about, but there wasn't really time to ask. They attacked us; they said they'd let the storm kill us, and that they'd leave us as a message to you. We didn't have our light-sabers, so we fought with our fists and the Force, like you taught us. They were surprised, at first, I think, but it went bad, fast. They got me in the arm, and 'Me in the ribs. They knocked us out and left us there to die." Finn's voice had faded to a hoarse whisper by the time he was finished, and he'd begun to shake as the truth of what they'd been through sunk in. "I'm sorry we failed you," he mumbled.

Ben smiled proudly at his son, "So, let me get this straight: You abandoned your duties to help someone that you thought was in trouble, even though you knew you'd get in trouble, you found the situation was not what you'd thought, and fought to the best of your ability, and you even managed to locate and call me for help, and _still_ you think you failed us!?" Ben shook his head, chuckling, "Yup. You are _definitely_ my son. You haven't failed anyone, Finn. In fact, you put up an excellent fight against odds that your _mother and I_ have never even faced! It occurs to me now that if I hadn't confiscated your light-sabers, you two might have been able to not only put up a _better_ fight, but you may well have won." Ben conferred quickly with the other Masters that were standing guard in the Village, "Congratulations; you two have proven that you _truly_ deserve to be in this Order. I had expected it to take a little longer than a week and a half, but...there you have it." Ben took Finn's saber from beneath his robe and laid it gently on the bed beside his son, beaming with pride, "I have never been so proud of you and Padme as I am right now. Sleep, son; you're safe, now." Finn breathed for a moment, letting it sink in that they were safe. There was something...off, though. Finn couldn't quite put his finger on it, but something was definitely wrong.

Curious, Finn reached out, searching through the Force. There was an unusual number of Masters in the Village, for one. The most telling, though, was the fact that every single one of them was _terrified_. Finn stood, walking carefully to the door, light-saber in hand. Just then, he sensed Padme begin to stir, _You're okay; everything's fine. Father found us just in time._ Finn sensed his twin's surprise, then heard, _Okay, so what's wrong? And don't tell me nothing. I know you too well, and besides; I can feel your tension._ Finn smiled to himself, _I just can't fool you, can I? Okay, fine. There is something wrong, but I can't figure out what. I think...I think Father's hiding something from us. Care to help me look?_ Finn sensed her gleeful agreement and stole quietly into her room, helping her to stand. They sneaked quietly into the hallway, listening with mind and ear for anyone that might catch them, but instead they saw what their Father was thinking about. They saw the carnage that was at the Academy, and they saw that it was worse than they had thought possible. They stepped quietly out of the shadows, hand-in-hand where the Masters sat in a great circle on pillows, discussing the next course of action quietly, "Did you think we wouldn't figure it out, Father? We know when we're being lied to," Finn whispered quietly, "Where are they? Where are the children? What about Han and Leia and Anakin?"

Ben sighed and opened his mouth to respond, but Lilia stood, instead, "Han and Leia have been taken, along with the other littles. Anakin, however, was left behind, which I'd say is a good thing. It seems they only took the children under the age of eleven; probably because after eleven, they become a bit more...set in their ways. We're trying to figure out where they might have been taken right now."

Finn and Padme stared at each other for a long moment, each feeling the terrible loss and fear over what their youngest siblings might be going through, especially little Han. Together, they turned back to their Father, Finn acting as the speaker, "We want to come with you. And we think that Anakin should come, too; I see the look, Mother, but please listen for a moment. Anakin and Leia have a special connection, and everybody knows it. Our theory is that their connection may work something like ours, but a little different. You know how those two are; they _always_ find each other, no matter where they are, no matter how far, and no matter how hard we try to keep them apart. Our theory is that we'll be able to track Leia through Anakin, which will lead us straight to...whoever it is that sent the Knights."

Ben raised an eyebrow at his eldest children, "Are you sure? These Knights are brutal, and efficiently deadly, as you discovered already. They seem to have rallied around the Bearer of the Darksaber, and will answer only to him. Whoever holds the Darksaber will likely try to kill us off, now that he knows we're coming. He seems to be so powerful that _no one_ can figure out who this guy is. He's already proven that he doesn't balk at the thought of harming children, and the Knights will _not_ go easy on us a second time. The next time we meet them, they will try to kill as many of us as they can, no matter how young we might be."

Finn and Padme nodded in unison, squeezing each others' hands, "We understand, Father," Muttered Padme, "We're still coming."

Rey smirked at the defiance in the twins' voices, "Well, alright then. It's been decided; Finn, Padme, and Anakin will accompany us." Rey walked over to her children and wrapped an arm around each of them, drawing them to her as a massive sense of pride warmed her to the bone.

***Author's Note***

Ooooh, it's so fun to write form different characters' points of view all in the same story! I am sooo glad that people seem to be enjoying this story! Next chapter, we're going to probably see some different viewpoint, so enjoy! Thanks for reading!


	8. Chapter 8

***Author's Note***

Okay, so, here's another one for y'all! I really hope you like this chapter; I like the direction it took, actually. We get to see young Leia take a little bit of authority here! Yaay! Enjoy!

***End Note***

Leia and Han

Leia woke suddenly to the sound of her brother's cries. Jolted to sudden wakefulness, adrenaline flooded her bloodstream as she got a look at her surroundings. It seemed that she and the other Padawans had been crammed together into what seemed to be a large dungeon, complete with damp, stone walls and chains hanging form the ceiling. Leia shivered, but shook the dread away, hurrying to her brother's side, "It's okay, it's alright. I'm here. We're going to find a way out of here, and if not, Mom and dad will find us. Okay?" She held the terrified little boy close, stroking his hair like she'd seen their mother do. Slowly, his trembling sobs came to a stop, and Leia dried his face on the sleeve of her robe, "That's better, isn't it?" Han nodded, his little eyes puffy and red from crying.

It was then that Leia noticed that she and Han were not the only noes that were awake. As more and more of her fellow Padawans woke, a sense of panic began to spread through the room, even among the oldest Padawans (Granted, they were only two years older than Leia). Seeing no other option, though she was only eight, Leia decided to take charge. _Do what Mom would do...Do what Mom would do...Do what Mom would do..._ was the mantra that ran through her head over and over again as she took Han's hand in her own and walked to the center of the room. First, she tested to see if she could use the Force in this room; finding that she could, she set off a great boom that made silence fall as each of her fellows turned to see what had caused the sound. "That is _enough_! Obviously, we're in trouble – every single one of us. There are no Masters here; even the older Padawans were left behind, which means we're on our own. I'm not going to lie; the situation's pretty bad. Some of you probably don't know who those guys are that took us, but _I_ do. They call themselves the Knights of Ren." Murmurs raced through the room, followed by a thrill of fear, "Easy, now. Easy! Yes, it's bad. We've all heard the stories from the War; my parents were _in_ it. But remember what my mom says: It doesn't matter how old you are; _never_ think you're helpless! My mom was younger than me when she was left alone on Jakku, and she survived! How? Because she was _clever_. We're clever, too. All we've got to do is figure out why they have us, then fight them with all we've got, but quietly. They're grown-ups; sooner or later, they'll underestimate us. We've got to act like scared kids 'til then, and playact like we're doing what they want. Once they make a mistake, those of us that are good with light-sabers will steal some, and we'll _fight_ our way out!"

More murmurs burned through the room, but tinged with hope this time, "Alright. So, why do you think we're still alive?"

Leia thought a moment, "Well, I saw a lot when they grabbed me. What I noticed is that there were a lot on _our_ side that were hurt, but not many dead, if any at all. That tells me they went easy on us." Leia paused, hesitating, "Well, I know from the War, there are a lot of people that have a grudge with my family and with Uncle Finn's family. So, if it were me, and I were a big, bad grown-up, I'd want to destroy what they've built. I think they want to make the Orders looks bad. If not, then they would have just killed us all." There were nods all around the room; it seemed her logic made a lot of sense. "I don't know why they want us, but it can't be good. They're probably going to try to hurt us, and I know you're scared. So am I; I've seen what they can do to people that are against them. I grew up with it. My Dad only has one arm and leg because he stood up to them. He used to be one of them; he was the Master of the Knights of Ren once, back when he was known as Kylo Ren," Amazed whispers broke out, only to be silenced again when Leia held up her hands, "They tried to kill my mom, and he decided then and there that he didn't want to fight for them any more. They hurt her pretty bad, but my Dad saved her. There were five Knights, and my Dad killed them all to save her, but they cut off his arm and leg before it was done. If they would do that to their own Master, imagine what they'd do to a bunch of kids that mean nothing to them. Listen to me, though; we are Padawans! In other words, we are destined to be Masters, ourselves! We cannot and _will_ not betray our Orders!"

Some shouts of agreement rang through the room as the air tingled. Nervous silence fell as a shimmering _something_ began to form in the middle of the room, right next to Han and Leia. A ghostly chuckle echoed eerily through the room, "Well, you sure as hell are like your Grandmother, kid. Your parents named you well."

Leia grinned widely as her Grandfather, Han Solo, finished materializing in the bleakness, "Grandpa! I'm so glad to see you! Do you have any information for us?"

Han smiled back at her, "Of course I do, Kid! When have you ever known me to show up _just because_? Look, Kid; I don't have a lot of time. The new Master of the Knights is on his way. I know what they want with you: they're going to try to turn you all to the Dark Side, and they'll kill the ones that won't. They'll probably give it a couple months, then start killing kids. Do _not_ give in! Your Masters know what's going on, and right this second, they're working out a way to come find you lot. You have to hold out, just until they get here. I'll stay with you, just so you're not alone, but mostly, Leia's in charge, okay?" Han's head snapped up, "Oh, damn. They're coming. Be strong, Kid," Han's voice cracked as he faded from view.

One of the older students spoke up, "You're used to stuff like that? Huh. You're braver than I thought."

Leia smiled grimly, "It looks like we're all going to have to be braver than we thought, now."

The Masters

Ben sighed and rubbed the back of his neck with his metal hand, trying desperately not to fall into despair. As a father _and_ a man, he felt like a failure. Rey walked into the room, understanding on her face, "I know, my love. I'm worried about them, too. They have my babies," her voice cracked as her eyes flooded with tears, "But I think they're going to be fine. You forget; they also took Leia, and you know what she can be like. I don't think they know just who it is they've got on their hands...Ben?" Ben looked into her eyes, startled at the blind terror he saw there, "You don't think...You don't think they'll... _torture_ the children, do you?"

Ben sighed again, "I do, actually." Rey gasped and clamped her hands over her mouth, "I think they'll start with the oldest, and work their way down. Han's one of the youngest, so he should be safe for a little while. Leia will take care of him for as long as she can. If I know our little girl, she's probably taken charge by now. Listen to me," He grabbed her face gently, looking her in the eye, "She'll take care of them. I named her after my mother for a reason; even as a baby, she reminded me of her. She'll have them them toeing the line in no time, don't worry."

Rey smiled for a moment as she leaned her forehead against Ben's, "I know you're right. I know you are, it's just...they're my _babies_ , Ben."

"I know it," he said quietly, "And if I ever get my hands on those _bastards_ , I'll tear them apart," he finished in a growl.

Just then, Huur ducked his way into the room, "Sorry I am to intrude, but decisions have been made, I think. Wherever you go, my friends, _with_ you will I be."

Huur's eyes went a hard, icy blue as he spoke, causing Rey to smile and lay a hand on his arm, "Thank you, my friend. Come on, then. Let's get out there." The three made their way to the Council chambers that were hidden in the middle of the canyons where only the Masters of each Order had knowledge of its location. It was carved into the mountainside itself, and was the perfect "neutral" space for them to make decisions which involved both Orders, such as this. Luke headed the Council, as was only to be expected; normally Ben, Rey, Finn, and Twila were on the Council as well, but seeing as their children were among those taken, they felt they could not be objective and had stepped down, allowing others to make the decisions. As they filed into the Council Chambers, ever set of eyes turned to them, anger in each set. Luke stood, "We have decided on a course of action. A small team will be sent out consisting of the Masters Solo, Master No-Nerves, Master Doroturo, Master Dameron, Master Shellac, Padawan Anakin Solo, Poe Dameron, Thamian Rar, and Huur, if he wishes to accompany you. I will be joining you as well, because frankly, I refuse to stay behind. Chewbacca has also requested to come, if you will have him. You will take the _Falcon_ as well as another ship for the Togorians, of their own choosing; we think the _Falcon_ is just a little small for them." Luke hid a smirk as Ben breathed a sigh of relief. "The rest of the Masters will remain with the Padawans that are left, and get them ready for combat. When you find the younglings, send for them, and they will come at great speed."

Stepping forward, he spoke, "Thank you for the speed of your decision. We would be pleased to act on behalf of both Orders. We will leave immediately, if that is agreeable." There were nods all around the Council Chamber. Ben and Rey bowed to the Council before turning on their heels and rushing out. They gathered those who had been cleared by the Council and hurried to the _Falcon_ without a wasted moment while Huur and his party chose a ship for themselves. Poe rushed to the cockpit, fired her up, and within thirty minutes of the Council's decision, both ships were primed and lifting off. Ben didn't breathe again until they had broken through Takodana's atmosphere.

Finn had finally shown Ben and Rey the alterations that Leia had made to the cargo bay shortly after the end of the War, fifteen years ago. Since then, Ben had used every chance he could find (and no few excuses) to use the high-tech toy. It was to the cargo bay that they all headed, thinking that they could use the distraction, though as the doors slid open, they found that it was already in use. Finn and Padme had set the computer to throw the most difficult opponents at them as it could manage; Ben and the elder Finn had worked together to figure out a way that the computer could imitate a Force-User's ability, and they had finally managed it about four years back. Now, though, the twins were using it as it was originally intended – as a training ground to get themselves battle-ready. As their elders watched, four simulated Force-Users were created, charging at the twins, wielding imitation light-sabers. From experience, Ben knew that, though they wouldn't kill you, those false sabers hurt like blazes. Seamlessly, the twins tumbled, rolled, and sprung up, deflecting a Force-Blast and hacking through their opponents easily. At last, Rey thought they had seen enough and called out, "Computer? End training session."

The computer complied immediately, and the twins froze in place. They had clearly not noticed that they had an audience, they were so intent on their session. The pair glanced nervously at each other, then shrugged simultaneously. Padme spoke softly, as was her way, "Well, what did you expect? They've got our sister and baby brother. It's not like we were going to stay behind. So, we stowed away, instead."  
Finn took his sister's hand, "We expected a boring old cargo bay, but this...? This is _way_ better!"

Ben and Rey grinned hugely, laughing in gladness, "We're not angry, you two," Ben choked out.

"On the contrary, my darlings, we are _relieved_. You two are so much like your Great-Grandfather. He knew what had been expected of him, too, but he followed his heart, always, and did what he thought to be right. Once again, we find ourselves proud of you. It hurt our hearts when the Council did not include you two in this mission, but we knew we could not go against the Council's decision. Personally, I'm glad you stowed away! I hated leaving you two behind when you have just as much right to be here as anyone, perhaps more!" Rey threw her arms around her two eldest children, holding them tight to her.

Finn chuckled, "Wow; that's a first. Usually we get a tongue-lashing for breaking the rules, or disobeying orders. This time, we get congratulated!"

Padme nodded in mock-severity, "Yes, it's very easy to get _confused_ with rules like these. Ah, well; what can they do? It's not like they can dump us out an airlock." Ben shook his head at them and wrapped his arm around the lot of them, glad that this part of his family, at least, was safe, together, and alive. He'd do all in his power to see that it stayed that way.

***Author's Note***

Well, that was fun! You can always count of the twins to lighten things up! Hope you enjoyed; thanks for reading! Lots of love to all of you. ^_^


	9. Chapter 9

***Author's Note***

Okay, so, we start to see things get a little harder for our young friends in this chapter. As far as what they're going through, well...You'll just have to wait and see, won't you? ^_^

***End Note***

Leia and Han

Lei'a Grandfather had been right. The Knights _had_ intended to turn them, but non of the young Padawans were prepared for just how cruel they would be to secure their defection. The first child they took had been returned in such terrible shape that he was hardly recognizable; if Leia hadn't been so skilled at healing, they may well have lost him that day. It was only through his training that he had managed to resist. Once Han Sr. had told them the Knights' plan, their own strategy had altered drastically. Rather than give in, they staunchly refused to even _fake_ going to the Dark Side. They all knew the story of her Great Grandfather, Anakin Skywalker. They knew that even the slightest taste of the dark Side could doom them to walk its paths forever. Leia knew from her father how difficult it was to _return_ from the dark Side, and just how easy it was to slide into it without noticing the change in yourself.

She had begun meditating daily for a couple of hours while little Han slept. The poor child was not doing well in captivity. They were on very strict rations; food came in the morning and in the evening. The older Padawans had immediately grouped together and decided that they would take half of their own portions to be sure that the youngest had enough to eat. As a result, three days after their capture, the sound of rumbling stomachs could frequently be heard echoing through the dungeon. Leia had been slipping one quarter of each portion into her robes for Han to have something in between meals – as he was the youngest child there, no on said a word, though everyone knew. Besides, the only one Leia was harming was herself. Her sacrifice seemed to make the other Padawans only more determined to defy their captors. She often saw the others glance at her with concern at her weakening state, only to see their eyes harden with resolve.

During Leia's daily meditations, she pressed her mind out as far as she could, remembering her lessons. Each time she touched a new mind, Leia wormed her way inside with agonizing slowness, in order to avoid detection. She had been astounded that there were no protections on their cell to keep them from doing exactly what Leia was doing – mistake number one. Leia had memorized the back doors and hidden ways into every mind on the base they were being held at. The lax security had also allowed Leia to glean some extremely important information. First, and perhaps the most important, was their location. Surprisingly, Leia found she knew _exactly_ where they were; she had heard stories of this place for her entire life: Naboo. Why Naboo, Leia had no clue, but that was certainly where they were. Second, and infinitely more confusing, was that whoever it was that commanded these Knights, he wasn't here. Rather than oversee this little "operation" himself, he called in by holo every day to give his instructions and to receive the progress reports. Leia had also found that he was _not_ happy. It seemed that the Padawans were making life very difficult, indeed for the Knights. However, Leia sensed that things were going to get a great deal more difficult for her fellows.

Just then, Leia sensed three someones enter the room, and three someones leave the room, leaving one half-conscious someone behind. A wave of fear and rage spread through the dungeon; something was wrong. Leia sensed someone coming up behind her and slowly drew herself up out of her meditation. She waited until they were directly behind her, kneeling in respect, before she spoke, "What is it? What's happened?"

She heard a swift intake of breath, followed by the words she had been dreading, "Leia, the Knights returned who they took. Only problem is, he's in worse shape than any of them before."

"Who did they take?"

This time, her question was met with hesitation, "Well...It was, um...It was T'arla."

Leia twisted around at the waist, alarm naked on her face. T'arla was Finn and Twila's oldest son, and only a year older than herself. They were accelerating their timetable. It was only a matter of time now before they called Leia up for her turn. She took a deep breath and calmly said, "Very well. Please take me to him." The older student bowed respectfully and stood, leading her to the door of the cell, where T'arla was laying in an untidy sprawl, quite motionless. Leia fell to her knees, most likely bruising them in her haste. She held a hand in front of his mouth, breathing a sigh of relief when she felt a puff of air exit his lungs, "He's breathing, thank the Powers," she muttered quietly to herself. The others knew by now that she needed complete silence to work. The Knights brought Padawans back damaged, and Leia fixed them. Leia rolled him over carefully, gasping when she saw what they'd done to him. There were light-saber burns all over his face; it was lucky that he had no lek'ku, or Leia suspected they may well have cut them off. The damage was bad enough, though; it seemed like they had broken every bone in his body, poor thing. Leia smothered any feelings she had on the matter and concentrated instead on her job. They had taken a total of fifteen children away today, each one gone for only an hour, and each one returned in horrific shape, but T'arla was by far the worst she had seen yet.

After nearly an hour of tireless toil, Leia leaned back on her heels, satisfied that she had done all she could. "That's all I can do, I'm afraid. He should be alright, though. Just let him rest, and he'll probably wake within the next hour or so." The others nodded and carted poor T'arla off, being careful not to hurt him as his brother, Jar'lek hurried behind.

Just then, the doors opened again, and two Knights dropped another child, this one a girl who looked about Leia's age. One of the Knights turned to look directly at Leia, and she felt ice flood her veins at his words, "Your turn, girl."

The others stiffened, but Leia waved them off, standing on her own and walking calmly towards them, gazing up into their cold masks, "Very well. Do what you will." The Knights chuckled cruelly and shoved her roughly into the hall.

The Masters

They were sitting in the galley, eating lunch when Anakin went white as a sheet and slid from his booth, an expression of terrible pain on his face. Ben lunged for his thirteen year old son, barely managing to catch him before his head hit the ground. A terrible, gurgling cry was wrenched from deep in his chest that had a single, devastating word in it. Leia. Ben felt the blood drain from his face, and saw Rey's knees go out. As she sank to the floor, the twins converged on her, each of them taking one of her hands in their own, exchanging terrified glances all the while. Suddenly, Anakin's eyes flew open and he shuddered in a gasp, "Torture! They're torturing her!"

Poe hissed between his teeth as Ben helped Anakin to his feet, "Shit. Those bastards are more vicious than ever. It won't be long before they figure out who she is, Ben. Once they do, she'll have a target on her back, poor child. Let's just hope they don't hurt Han. There 'll be hell to pay if they do." He glanced at Rey, who had regained her feet, only to cringe away from her at the fiery rage in her eyes.

"There already _is_ hell to pay," she growled viciously, "Annie? Do you have _any_ idea where they are?"

Anakin shuddered and looked his mother in the eye, "I...I'm not sure, Mother. I'll meditate on it and try to figure it out. I don't like this, Mother. What kind of creature tortures children?"

Ben spoke, very softly, "Someone who is utterly lost to the Darkness. Your Aunt, my twin sister, was one such lost soul." Silence deep enough to swim in fell in the galley. Ben very rarely spoke about his sister, Padme, since her death. In fact, the twins could remember exactly four instances where he had mentioned her. The first was when he told them who Padme was named for. The second was when he had walked into one of Poe's Force History class, just as he had been explaining who Master Ren really had been, which had caused Poe to falter and fall silent. The third time was when their Mother had made a statue of her for Ben's birthday three years ago so they would never forget her. The fourth was just now; the twins had marked every time their Aunt was mentioned as especially poignant, as it was the only time they ever heard their father's strong voice crack. "If they are capable of such atrocities against _children_ , then their leader must truly be a Sith. If that is the case, then we are looking for two. There will be a Master and an Apprentice. With my sister, she was the Master, and I was the Apprentice, though not the Apprentice she'd hoped I'd be, I suppose," he added as though to himself. Rey walked quietly to her husband and laid a hand on his shoulder, "Ben. You had no choice. You know that. There was no other way to stop her. Ending her life was a mercy, in the end, and you know it."

Ben sighed and cleared his throat, "I know, my Light. But still; she was my twin, and I haven't been the same since I killed her. I've been missing something. You helped, and of course so have the children, but nothing will ever heal the gaping hole in my soul. She's gone, Rey, and nothing will ever change that. I just have to live with that, as I have been." Ben took Rey's shoulders in his hands and kissed her forehead gently, "But I hope you never stop trying to make me see things your way."

Anakin cleared his throat, looking nervously at his siblings, "Um, so, what now? Where do we go?"

From the galley door, they heard a distinctive _tuk-tuk_ sound, and every head snapped around to see Tuk-Tuk standing brazenly in the doorway, sitting on his heels and balanced perfectly on his knuckles. _Go see General. Tuk-Tuk miss her. She gives Tuk-Tuk fruit! She has information._ Tuk-Tuk's eyes had unfocused slightly at his last sentence, so Ben turned to Poe, "Well, you heard him. My mother has information. As for _you two_..." Ben turned to the twins, "What were you thinking? He could get hurt!"

Padme sighed in exasperation, "So could you! So could mom! So could we, or Anakin, or Uncle Finn, or any of us! Look at Uncle Luke! He's one of the most powerful Jedi in history, but one tiny mistake, and he lost his eyes! Father, you can't keep hiding us behind your cloak! You can't protect us forever. I love you, and I wish things were the same as they were a week ago, but they're not. We've already proven that we can take care of ourselves, and so has Tuk-Tuk, back on Kashyyk! You _know_ I'm right. You can't protect us forever, father. All you can do now is to teach us as best you can."

Ben stepped back in surprise; Padme was usually the quiet twin. Hearing her give (what was by her standards) a speech was astonishing and unheard of. "And besides," Finn said, "He refused to be left behind. If we hadn't let him come, he'd have ratted us out, and we all would be stuck back on Takodana. Not to mention that he was already here when we got here. His plan was the same as ours: hide until it was too late for you to turn back." Try though he might, Ben simply could not find it within himself to be angry with the twins, or Tuk-Tuk. Instead, he shook his head and turned to leave the room, throwing his hands up in the air in defeat.

Rey chuckled as her husband left the room, "Well, I think we've all had enough excitement for now. To bed, you three. And no, I won't hear any arguments. Let us adults sit and talk about old times for a while, okay? Good night, my darlings." Amid much grumbling, her three oldest children headed to the quarters that it had been decided they would share, leaving Rey, Finn, Twila, and Thamian alone in the galley. Rey sighed and settled into her booth as Finn stole silently over to a locked cupboard and took out some Corellian wine, Rey's favorite. "Ahhhh, blessed silence. That is something I don't get very often with five children running around underfoot."

Finn chuckled, "Sometimes, I don't know how you two manage. We've only got the two, and they're trouble..." Finn trailed off at Twila's stricken look.

Rey leaned forward, her elbows on the table, "I know, honey. I'm just as worried as you are. They have my two youngest, and if you think you're the only one here chomping at the bit to get to them, you couldn't be more wrong. I am just as terrified for my babies as you are, Twila."

Twila shuddered and laid her face in her hands while Finn rubbed her back, "I know, Rey. I'm sorry. I'm just...not as good at this as you are. How _are_ you so good at this?"

Rey threw back her head and laughed, "Okay, first, I fell in love with a man who was actively trying to kill me. Then, we managed to get ourselves into every kind of trouble that we possibly could, including a couple of dozen life-threatening situations, and I had to help him fight the Darkness inside him back more times than I can count. The last real battle we fought together was the one where he killed his own sister, and after all of that, when we finally had some time to relax and just enjoy being parents, our first pregnancy brought the twins. _The twins_. You know what kind of trouble they manage to cause. So, I guess you could say that I'm used to worrying. I've learned that the most important thing to remember while you're worrying is that life still happens. You've _got_ to remember to enjoy the little moments; the quiet moments. And right now, this with all of us here together, this, my friend, is a quiet moment. The worry is still there, but there's not a whole lot we can do about it right this second, so just enjoy the quiet. Don't worry, dear. We'll tear those bastards apart once we find them." A fierce, wolfish grin spread across Twila's face, and a glint so gleeful that it sent a chill down the spine sprang into her eye, "See, dear? That's the spirit. Now, until then, we have wine, handsome men, and one of our children who is finally old enough to hear all of our crazy stories."

Finn chuckled, "Oh, yeah. Like that day during the week-long celebration of Ben and Rey's wedding where you somehow wound up dancing on a table in a fancy dress." Poe choked into his wine and Lilia snorted wine out her nose.

Sputtering, she managed to choke out, "Wait, what? Okay, how have I never heard this story? Do tell." From that point on, they spent the rest of the evening trading stories of the old days back and forth, much to the entertainment of Lilia. Around the corner, Anakin, Finn, and Padme hid, listening to the stories and laughing silently. Ben and Rey pretended not to notice they were there, knowing that they needed the distraction just as much as their parents did.

***End Note***

Hehe, I figured I needed to end the chapter on a funny note, given that the last couple have been pretty heavy. Don't worry, the Knights will get their comeuppance. I'm quite looking forward to that scene, by the way. Anywho, thanks for reading!


	10. Chapter 10

***Author's Note***

Good Afternoon, everyone! I know, I'm a bit late on the update, but this one kinda fought me some. It's also the longest chapter yet, so...enjoy! Lots of swashbuckling action in this chapter! Yaaay!

***End Note***

Leia and Han

Leia couldn't tell how long they'd had her, but she thought it was longer than an hour. In an effort to hide her power and strength from her captors, Leia was offering little visible resistance to their torture. True, it caused her far more pain than was strictly necessary, but it allowed her to focus hemore on hiding her thoughts. She knew somehow that it would be disastrous for them to discover her identity – both for her, and for Han. Therefore, rather than spend her energy protecting or healing herself, she spent it protecting her family.

At first, when they'd brought her to this cold, metal room, Leia had through that she understood what was in store for her – she couldn't have been more wrong. These _people_ cared not at all that she was just a child, and her being a girl didn't even enter their minds for a moment. Leia refused, however, to give them the satisfaction of hearing her scream – perhaps that was the real reason for the longer "session". They'd begun by beating her savagely, but that was nothing she hadn't felt before during light-saber training. They had nearly surprised a squeak out of her when they'd Force-Pushed her into the opposite wall so hard that her head had bounced off of it, setting her vision to swimming and her ears to ringing. That, it seemed, had been nothing but a warm-up for t hem. They'd burned her with their light-sabers, slapped her, even cut on her with daggers, but still Leia stubbornly refused to make a sound, showing a will and maturity that was vastly beyond her meager eight years. Eventually, they had grown frustrated by her silence and sent for their "expert."

"So," he'd said, "We've found ourselves a tough nut to crack, have we. You must be the one that's fashioned herself the 'leader' of these brats. Don't worry, little one. We're going to have so much _fun_ together." He'd laughed then, a sick, oily sound that sent a thrill of fear down her spine and made a sick-feeling lump form in her gut. His first act had been to shove flexible wooden shoots under her fingernails – it was then that she truly understood what they could do to her, and how much they could make her hurt. Her fingers had twitched and jerked of their own accord as blood streamed from them and dripped onto the ground, but still she remained silent. They tried method after method on her – from holding her head under water until she nearly drowned to stretching her until she thought her muscles might snap, but still nothing. Instead, she protected her thoughts faithfully, sparing no energy for herself. Eventually, she sank into a kind of trance where the only thought was _There is no pain, only peace._

Suddenly, in the vacant emptiness of that peace, Leia felt her beloved brother's presence. She knew it was a terrible risk, but she knew she _had_ to try to save the others from this fate. _Anakin! Help! Naboo!_ Was all she managed to get through before she heard that horrible, oily laugh again, "O-ho! I was unaware that we had any of the Solo children here. Well, now. That changes things. Take her back to the others. I have _planning_ to do." Leia would have struggled, but she was barely even conscious by then. Somewhere between there and their cell, Leia blacked out. She came to again just enough to feel herself land hard on the floor of the dungeon.

There was the sound of movement, then a soft curse, followed by murmuring. Someone placed to wonderfully cool fingers at her neck, sighing in relief, "She's alive. By the Powers, what have they done to her? Someone take Han away! Don't let him see her like this! I need all our healers this time! I know, she usually heals us, but it's our turn. We owe her at least that much."

Leia would never be able to tell how long they worked over her. All she knew was that her pain gradually lessened beneath a warm, gentle light until it was manageable. How she managed to stay aware when they set her broken bones, she had no idea. She had the impression of someone saying, "They broke damn near every bone in her body. What kind of monsters _are_ these guys?" But that was the last thing she remembered hearing for a very long time. At last, the warmth began to fade from her body and the light receded. She fell deeply into sleep, and sensed that her fellows would fight to the death to keep her safe.

The Masters

The twin ships landed on Coruscant and were instantly swarmed with people, all chattering curiously. The moment the loading ramps were lowered, however, there was a sudden movement away, once they saw the grim faces of the occupants. A wide berth formed like the parting of the sea, leaving plenty of room for the Togorians _and_ the Masters. There were many nervous glances towards the group of towering Togorians as they stalked past, each one with death in their eyes, even young Hrii, who had been allowed to accompany her father. Those who were familiar with the Ben and his party, however, were far more alarmed by the seriousness of the usually-jovial group; some of them were still sporting injuries from the battle, making them even more serious-looking. A few approached, intending to ask Ben questions, but the curiously dead quality of his eyes made all that they fell upon shrink back in terror. Saying not a word to the curious crowd, they proceeded directly into the palace, heading for Leai's official chambers, where Ben knew she was currently holding court. The guards opened the massive doors wide for them, glancing nervously at each other all the while. The group fanned out in a smooth, fluid movement that appeared to all to be well-rehearsed, with the Togorians flanking the Masters of both Orders on either side, while keeping their Leader and his daughter in the middle.

As the room watched them approach, every voice died on the lips, and fear spread through the room at the thought of what could possibly bring these normally reclusive people out in such force; normally, there were only two at a time, not the massive number of _twenty_ , including Tuk-Tuk. Watching them approach, Leia visibly paled and rose slowly from her seat at the head of the room, half-reaching towards her son and brother, sheer horror in her eyes. "Ben..." she whispered so quietly that the vaulted ceiling barely had a sound to make an echo with, "Ben, what happened?"

Stopping just before the throne, every knee bowed, showing the Chancellor the proper respect before anyone spoke, "Takodana has been attacked, Mother." Gasps and cries reverberated through the room, only to fall silent when Ben stood slowly, drawing himself to his full height, his eyes flashing dangerously and the light glinting off of his right arm. "They took every Padawan that was below the age of eleven, including our children – T'arla, Jar'lek, Leia, and Powers help them, Han. The Knights of Ren have come out of the shadows once again, and are responsible for these heinous acts, including the torture of the Padawans – Anakin has a special connection to Leia; he has felt it. We are formally requesting the authority to act as we see fit to return them to safety." There was an angry outburst of outrage at what the Knights had done that was silenced only when Leia rose from her seat once again with fire in her eyes.

"You have my permission, Master Solo, to do _whatever_ you deem necessary to return these poor children to the safety of Takodana. I will even send a few contingents of troops for backup until the rest of your own forces can arrive. However, I have one question. _How did this happen?_ How were you not prepared?"

Ben narrowed his eyes in irritation, but understood that this was part of the political game that they must now play. Bowing slightly, he spoke again, "Chancellor, we were caught completely unawares. There was no sign that this was the action they would take; their movements have been shielded from our sight by the Dark Side. Whoever their new Master is, he must truly be powerful to hide them from _us_. Even Master Skywalker was unable to sense the direction of their plans. It wasn't until an outside source informed us that was knew where they would strike, and they waited until the most powerful of us were here, at your summons, before they struck."

"And who might this _outside source_ be?" Leia asked, playing the game right alongside her son.

Something happened then that neither could have predicted. The Force crackled and snapped as Han Solo appeared between Ben and Leia. General Antilles, who stood behind the throne, smirked as his old friend caused quite the panic, and enjoyed every minute of it. "That would be me. I knew there was no way they'd reach the planet in time, so I've been keeping an eye on the children. They're doing their best to fight off their captors, but they're fading, and quickly. The Knights' plan is to force the children to turn to the Dark Side and _kill_ all who refuse. If I were you, I'd stop screwing around and get your asses out there and look for my grandchildren." Han vanished again, leaving silence in his wake and a glint of amusement in Leia's eyes.

Clearing her throat, Leia spoke again, "Well. That clears that up. Very well, Master Solo. You have my leave to go. And, Ben?" she called as they turned to go, "Bring my grandchildren home safely." The fear and worry in her eyes shone openly for a moment, but was quickly replaced by the steely look that any who were close to her knew meant that she had _no_ intention of staying out of this fight.

As they headed for the doors, Anakin paused, "Father? Hold on a moment, I think I...Eugh!" On an odd gagging, coking noise, Anakin doubled over, clearly in pain and vomited messily all over the marble floor of the Throne Room, his eyes staring blindly towards his father. As Ben and Rey lunged for their son, the twins just behind them, Anakin's head jerked up, "I can see her! I can see Leia! What have they done to her?" He choked again, gagging as tears rolled down his face, "They've beaten her and... _other_ things. Things I don't have words for. It's awful."

Ben's mouth drew into a thin, hard line, "Easy, now, son. What can you see? Is there anything that will help us find them?"

Anakin shook his head, "No, but she knows I'm there. She's reaching out, saying my name. Help, she says. Naboo." Anakin's eyes cleared as the connection faded. "Dad...I think...I think they're being kept on Naboo!"

Ben closed his eyes for a moment, searching the Force for answers, "I believe you may be right, son. Well done." Turning back to his mother, Ben gave her a sharp nod before turning a sweeping out of the Throne Room, the rest following behind. No one said a word until they were back on board the _Falcon_. "Okay. We have the location of the Padawans. Any suggestions?"

Rey was sitting, her eyes unfocused, and her face slightly green, spoke quietly, "We should get the children, obviously. I can't believe you even have to ask, Ben."

Ben laid his hand on Rey's shoulder, "Of course, but what I _meant_ was more to the effect of what's our first step? Do we alert the others and wait, or do we go now? Either way, I feel that we will most likely need the reinforcements. So, I will ask again: Any suggestions?"

None was willing to speak for a long moment and to the surprise of all, it was Thamian who broke the silence, "I say we go now. I get the feeling the children will need us sooner than later. They've already been in the hands of the Knights for two weeks now, and I don't give them much more time before the Knights give up and decide that turning them isn't worth the trouble. I'm thinking they'll just slaughter them all; it'd do pretty much the same thing. If we can't defend our Padawans, how can we possibly defend the galaxy? I say we alert Takodana and head for Naboo ourselves."

Ben was nodding in agreement, "That makes good sense. Any other opinions? No? Good. Poe; please alert Takodana as to what has happened. Huur, I'm sure you want to get to a ship where you can actually stand up; we'll meet you on Naboo."

Huur dipped his head respectfully, "Very well, little friend. It is there that we will see you."

Within minutes, both ships were primed and ready to take off. The Council had, of course, been disgusted by the information provided by Anakin's unique connection with Leia. Lilia sat beside her father in the co-pilot's seat, worrying, "Father?" Poe glanced up at her, "What if we're too late? I can't help but think that this wouldn't have happened if I'd done a better job at defending our home..."

Poe was already shaking his head and reaching for her hand, "Hush. That's nonsense, and if you'll stop blaming yourself for one second and just think, you'll realize that you're not the only one that was out maneuvered here. We all were. The Knight's didn't just wake up one day and think, 'hey, I think it'd be fun to attack Takodana.' They've been planning this for a very long time, probably since the end of the war. You're not the only one who was taken by surprise, and I doubt you're the only one feeling like you were duped. If you really won't take my word for it, then there's only one thing you can do. You'll have to kick some serious ass when we get to Naboo, now won't you?"

Lilia smiled, "Thanks, dad. Now; what do you say we get this bucket of bolts moving?" Poe punched in the coordinates while Lilia made the calculations for the jump to hyperspace. Before long, they were sliding into a hyperspace channel and hurrying towards Naboo.

Leia and Han

Leia woke, sore and disoriented. "It's alright," said T'arla from her right, "You're back in our cell, with us. You're going to be okay. We managed to heal the worst of the damage."

Leia nodded, "Thank you. Where's my brother? Have they taken anyone else?"

T'arla shrugged, "Han's fine, but they haven't taken anyone for three days, since they dropped you back here, more than half-dead. It took every healer we've got, just to keep you alive. How'd you piss them off so bad?"

Leia smiled humorlessly, "I refused to scream. They didn't like that very much. Okay, so; they're probably planning their next move. Gather everyone, I have news." It took only a short time to gather the other Padawans and group around Leia, "Thank you for listening to me. I hope I haven't led anyone anywhere they don't want to go. However, I think your faith in me will be rewarded, and soon. I managed to get a message to my brother while they were torturing me; Anakin and I have always had a special connection. There is no doubt that by now, my parents know where we are, and are either on their way, or working out a plan to come save us. If I know my Grandmother, she will send an army with my parents, but they won't be here for a while, either way. We don't have much time left before they get here, so we have to be strong until then." Cheers broke out among the Padawans; they could see the end of their imprisonment, and the atmosphere was electric.

Just then, the door to their cell opened, and the air of celebration vanished, "Well, I can't say that I'm surprised, little one. It seems your friends have patched you up admirably, but I am not here for you." The Knight who had tortured Leia gestured, and two-dozen Knights streamed into the cell, shoving through the children with no thought to injuries. "Take him," shouted the head Knight. Leia's blood when cold when she heard Han's terrified scream as the Knights dragged him out of the cell.

"NO!" Leia screamed, but it was too late. The door slid shut, and cut her off from her baby brother. She pounded on the door like a wild animal, ramming her tiny body against it time after time, but it stubbornly remained closed. "No, please. Please, don't hurt him."

T'arla came up behind her and laid a hand on her shoulder, "Stop, Leia. You've got to think. Look how many of us there are! We've been acting like scared kids for long enough, don't you think?"

Sense returned to Leia's eyes as the logic set in, "You're right. Thank you, T'arla." Turning to the rest of the younglings, Leia raised her voice so it would carry, "Alright! The time has come for us to fight back. We need to soften these jerks up before my family arrives; we've got to give them all the help we can! I'm sure they'll have our weapons around here somewhere. Once we get out of this cell, the largest of us will take out the Knights and steal their light-sabers and they will give them to those who have the most skill. There are six guards; that's six blades that need to be distributed. Once we've done that, we'll figure out where our light-sabers are and head there, taking out anyone who's in our way. Then, when we've armed ourselves properly, we will find my brother. After that, we'll try to find our way out of here and to the surface. Everyone agree?" The roar that met her inquiry was answer enough.

Leia barked orders, sounding so much like her Grandmother that if her father had been there, the hairs on the back of his neck would have stood on end. At last, they had arranged themselves in a protective ring around the youngest of their number, and those who had not yet earned their light-sabers. The most powerful with the Force were on the outside, protecting those who were best with a light-saber. The only exception to this rule was Leia; she was equally gifted with blade _and_ Force, so she took point. Though she was diminutive in size, her power was potentially greater even than her parents'. Together with the others in the front ring, Leia aimed a powerful Force-Blast at the door of their cell. After only the first blow, the door exploded forward with such force that it knocked their guards to their knees.

Wasting no time, Leia and the others swarmed the six guards, making sure that they were fully unconscious before stripping them of their light-sabers and distributing them as planned. Leia was one of the six that was handed a light-saber, and her skin crawled as she handled the unfamiliar weapon. It was as though the hilt was covered with slime, and it turned her stomach, just to touch the infernal thing. However, it was a weapon, and Leia knew she would only have to touch it until her own blade was back in her hands. Quickly and silently as only a Jedi can move, the group slunk as one down the hall, each feeling through the Force for their light-sabers. Suddenly, each head snapped up in unison and turned in the same direction, as though they had been called. It would have been funny if the faces of the children weren't so uncharacteristically fierce. Together, they streamed in the direction of their weapons, moving as fluidly as water over rocks.

As they flew around the final corner, a group of Knights froze in shock at the sudden appearance of their supposedly helpless captives. Leia wasted no time, "Cover us! Take them out and break down the door!" A massive Force-Wave burst forth from the unarmed students, nearly knocking the Knights to their knees, giving the armed Padawans the opportunity to jump forward, lighting their stolen light-sabers in unison. Leia sunk into her stance, as she'd been taught from the moment she'd begun to show Force-Ability and ducked beneath a blow that she'd hardly even seen coming, moving with the speed that comes with youth and training, and swung her stolen blade in a curving arch, slicing her opponent's leg and severing it. As he fell, she hesitated only a moment before slamming the blade home, ending his life. Leia stumbled back, shocked for only a moment at the reverberation through the Force. Understanding came to her at that moment, why her parents always told the Padawans that killing is never something to be made into a game or a joke. Leia knew she'd have to deal with the fallout of her actions eventually, but now was not the time.

Spinning, Leia met the next attack mechanically and dispatched him just as quickly. Looking around, she saw the others still grappling with their opponents, each seeming to hesitate to strike the final blow. "Don't go easy on them! Remember, they intend to kill us all!" Leia's shout seemed to do the trick; each of her fellows that were already armed set their faces into determined expressions and redoubled their efforts. In a few moments, there were no Knights left standing. Rushing to the door that stood between them and their weapons, the Padawans readied another Force-Blast which buckled the door in, granting them access. With relief, they dropped their stolen blades and called their own weapons to them. The air was suddenly filled with the heat and buzz of a hundred light-sabers, and suddenly the children were not so defenseless.

Around the corner, a new wave of Knights came at them; Leia sank to her knees, calling for time to find Han. Her fellows nodded grimly and formed a protective barrier around her. Their defense was so fierce that the Knights were taken by complete surprise, and it gave Leia just enough time to locate her brother. She surfaced quickly, lighting her own light-saber and Force-Jumping over the line of her friends and launching herself into the fight, hacking and slashing with wild abandon at kneecaps or whatever else she could reach. Within moments, the battle was over, and Leia was leading the way to her brother. At last, they turned one last corner, and standing before them stood the Torturer.

"Well, I must say, I am impressed. Who would have thought that youngsters like you could handle such highly trained warriors, such as ourselves? But then again, enough ants can kill a spider, so perhaps it is not such a surprise, after all. What is it that you plan to do now, little one?"

Leia said nothing, but brought her blade to the front of her body in a defensive position. The Torturer laughed and lunged at her, lighting his own blade. He was at least twice her size, and by far the strongest she had faced yet. The others swarmed around them, taking on other Knights as Leia battled fiercely with the massive man. She met him, blow-for-blow, and managed to block every attack he aimed at her. Leia tumbled and lurched to her feet, slashing viciously at his back. Her opponent screamed in pain and fell to his knees, just as Leia's blade came down on his shoulder, cutting in diagonally and stopping his heart. "Don't. Touch. My. Family." She hissed through clenched teeth. She turned, sprinting for the door and blasting it out of its frame. There, strapped to a metal table, was Han, unharmed save for a red mark on his cheek where he'd been slapped. Leia breathed a great sigh of relief as she waved a hand over the restraints and laughing as he flung himself at her, wrapping his arms around her neck and began to cry. "It's okay, I'm here. They're not going to touch you again. I need you to do something for me, okay?" Han drew back to look at her as she wiped his face with her sleeve. "I need you to stay in the middle, where you'll be safe, okay?" Han nodded and Leia helped him get down.

Hurrying outside, they found the others waiting for them. The crowd began to cheer when they saw that Han was safe, "Okay, you lot! Lets find our way out of here!" With that, the Padawans swarmed through the base, seeking the exit through the Force. Leia smiled to herself; she was proud of her friends and how well they had handled themselves. She knew, now, that it would only be a short time until her parents arrived to save them, and hope blossomed, unrestrained in her chest as they hurried on their way.

***Author's Note***

Wooo! Padawan justice! I've been looking forward to the epicness of these Padawans! I hope you enjoyed this chapter; I know I did! Thanks for reading, all.


	11. Chapter 11

***Author's Note***

Good Afternoon, my friends! I know, I haven't posted all week. It's been crazy busy around the Darkwind household, and on top of that, I've been exhausted and suffering from writer's block. However, as you'll see, the block is completely gone now! I guess I've been working too hard for too long, but then I've been doing almost nothing _but_ writing for the last four months! I guess I burned myself out a little. Anywho, this chapter is kinda a doozy, so I hope you enjoy!

***End Note***

The Masters

The _Falcon_ arrived on Naboo in short order, Huur's ship directly behind them. Being well known on Naboo, they were greeted warmly by the locals, especially Ben and Rey. They did their best to be polite while they were being swarmed by locals, but were quietly relieved when the Togorians joined them on the landing pad, causing the crowd to back away, casting cautious glances at the massive feline creatures. Anakin had been silent since they'd landed, his eyes oddly unfocused as he searched for his sister, "They're definitely here, Dad! I can sense her and the others, but it's a bit... _distorted_ , somehow."

Ben nodded, "I know. I feel it, too. We're being blocked." Turning to one of the locals, Ben spoke quickly, "We need to acquire enough speeders for all of us."

"Um, well, you're going to need a fleet just for your – ah – _friends_. They do _speak_ , don't they?" The man cocked his head as he considered the Togorians, genuinely curious.

A ripple of growls tore from the Togorians' throats, tails twitching and claws flexing. Ben held out a hand for them to stop before he spoke, "They do, yes. They're called Togorians. You see the one with black fur and blue eyes that towers over the others?" The man nodded, his eyes wide, "He is the King among his people. His name is Huur, and he is highly respected among both the Jedi and Neutral Orders."

The man paled and turned to Huur, "Your majesty," he bowed as he spoke, "Please forgive my ignorance. I did not intend any offense. Allow me to begin again, my Lord: What sorts of speeders are your people familiar with?" Ben had to glance swiftly away when he caught sight of the poor man's trembling hands so that he would not see the highly amused smirk on Ben's face.

Huur thrummed deep in his chest with approval, "No matter. All is forgiven. To be ignorant is no crime – failure to correct ignorance _is_. Appreciated is your apology. In answer to your question, my people are rather different. It is the females who are confident with technology, not the males. Requiring pilots we will be."

The man bowed again, "My Lord. Are you content to ride with the others, or will you need to hire pilots?"

Huur smiled, his blue eyes sparkling brightly, "Enough pilots there are here already, thank you."

The man bowed again and scurried away, gulping air like a man who had nearly drowned. Thamian chuckled, "Not even _I_ get that kind of reaction. Being a member of your race surely has its benefits!" Huur joined in Thamian's laughter as he laid a massive paw on Thamian's shoulder. Tuk-Tuk jutted forward off of Ben's shoulder, gazing about curiously, _Long time since here last. The Younglings are here, yes?_

Ben nodded, "Yes, Tuk-Tuk. The younglings are here. All that is left now is to find them and get them out of there." Tuk-Tuk nodded sagely _Stay out of sight?_ Ben smiled, "Yes, you should stay out of sight. Very wise, Tuk-Tuk."

Just then, the man returned to lead them to their speeders – nine in total, and no one spoke again for a long time. The Togorians were distributed among the speeders – Huur rode behind Twila, as he was the largest, and she the smallest. The remaining of their number were paired together thus: Ben and the twins, Rey and one of the Togorian guards, Lilia and Matthew (in a cunning maneuver by Luke), Poe and a guard, Anakin and Luke, Thamian and a guard, Finn and a guard, and finally, the only female Togorain, one of her fellows, and Chewie. They looked rather fierce, Ben thought, paired together as they were, save Chewie and the Togorians; Chewie just looked dwarfed between the two felines. Glancing to his left, he saw Rey bent low over the handlebars of her speeder, a fierce scowl on her face, and an equally fierce expression on the Togorian behind her. As Ben was one of the largest humans, he was one of those that did not have a Togorian behind him. Instead, he had the twins behind him, as they could not pilot a speeder just yet – he and Rey hadn't been able to bring themselves to teach the boisterous teens, for fear of their own lives. They had flatly refused to be separated from each other, so Ben had acquiesced and allowed both of them to ride with him. Ben thought they must look like quite the army, with their little band of speeders hurrying across the green fields and rolling hills of the Naboo countryside. Just then, Ben caught a thought from Anakin, _Father! Just over there – the bunker, do you see it?_ Ben squinted in the direction that Anakin's thoughts directed him. _I see it. But it would seem that we are expected. That's not just an army...Those are mercenaries! They really did plan this, and quite well, too._ Out loud, Ben shouted, "We're almost there! We're expected, though; there's an army of mercenaries waiting for us, so when we get there, you two stay as close to your mother and me as you can!" Ben sensed the twins' assent and narrowed his eyes in concentration as he leaned low over the controls, punching the accelerator.

A short distance away, Lilia and Matthew sped along in the middle of the pack of speeders. Lilia was far superior as a pilot, and Matthew had offered no argument when she had taken the controls. He tightened his grip on her waist, sensing her turmoil. He reached gently for her mind, _they'll be alright, Lilia. They may be young, but they're strong. Besides, Leia's with them. She's so much like the Chancellor that if she hasn't taken charge, I'll be astonished._ Lilia's back pressed into his chest as she sighed, causing him to blush. _I hope you're right. I just can't shake the feeling that this is my fault. I was in charge, and we might as well have_ _ **handed**_ _the littles to the Knights._ Matthew smiled to himself; that was _so_ like her. _Well, if you're at fault, then so am I._ He felt her shock, followed by embarrassment. _It's alright, Lilia. I'm not offended, but I will be if you keep blaming yourself. They managed to surprise_ _ **Luke Skywalker**_ _, for pity's sake! If even_ _ **he**_ _was caught off guard, then anyone would have been!_ He sensed her smile as she reached down to squeeze his hand, making his heart clench in response, _thank you, Matthew_. Just then, an image flickered into their minds, showing a bunker surrounded by hundreds of mercenaries. "By the Power," Matthew muttered to himself. Louder, he called, "We're almost there! Angle a bit more to the right; I'll jump first and give you cover!" She nodded as Matthew removed his light-saber from where it was clipped at his hip, readying himself for the Jump.

As the speeders drew nearer, Lilia saw the lines of Mercs begin to scurry about, readying themselves for attack. She felt Matthew's muscles bunch, and his weight suddenly left the speeder. She watched as he flipped gracefully through the air, engaging his light-saber a he went. Lilia's heart skipped a beat at the sight of him landing gracefully in the midst of a large group of mercenaries. Lilia angled the speeder towards the mercs as she pulled her feet up onto the seat of the speeder. She stood as it neared them and flipped backwards off the speeder, sending it careening into the mercenaries and engaging her mismatched blades as she went. Lilia landed with both blades held at angles behind her and one knee on the ground. Her hair fell away from her face as she looked up at the men surrounding her and smiled ferociously. A few seemed to lose their nerve slightly, backing away from this unexpected development – clearly, whatever attack they'd been expecting, it hadn't been Jedi. The rest simply opened fire.

Lilia twisted and spun her way to her feet, deflecting blaster-bolts with ease and deadly grace. As she spun through her deadly dance, there were none who could stand before her sabers. Glancing over her shoulder, sh saw Matthew making his way towards her, though he was having a bit of trouble. Lilia sighed and Force-Jumped over the mercenaries between them, landing neatly beside Matthew, easily truncating two men with one blow from each light-saber as she turned to him. "You're completely hopeless, you know that?" He laughed as they stood back-to-back and faced the mercs together.

Across the field, Ben and the twins had been joined by Rey, Anakin, and Luke. The six of them moved as a single entity, their skill at meshing their minds and skills making them the deadliest force on the battlefield. A short distance away, Ben could see Thamian fighting alongside Finn and Twila; the three were well-used to fighting together during the war with the First Order, and it showed. Finn and Twila gave Thamian's enormous vibrosword a wide berth, knowing first-hand what he could do with it. Perhaps the most frightening sight, however, was the Togorians; the normally-docile creatures were truly terrifying when they were roused, as they were now. Their spears, broadswords, and poleaxes made short work of the mercenaries around them, drenching their fur with blood. Each had a feral gleam in their eyes, and Ben knew it would be quite some time before the bloodlust faded enough for them to regain their logic.

He didn't know how long they'd been fighting, but what Ben _did_ know was that he was growing tired. It seemed there was no end to the flood of men rushing at them. At last, just when Ben thought they couldn't last much longer, he heard the unmistakable whine of approaching transport ships. By the time he was able to glance back, the ships were already off-loaded. His mother had been true to her word; answering blaster-fire flew overhead as his mother's promised reinforcements joined the battle. More surprising, however, was the army of Jedi and Neutral Masters and age-appropriate Padawans that was moving over the fields like a wrathful storm, Hrii at their front, outstripping the others by a respectable distance. Ben smiled as the mercs drew back slightly in dismay; they didn't stand a chance now, and they knew it. The battle grew more heated for a moment, the mercs steadily falling back. Another whine was heard and heads turned upwards all over the battlefield as a shuttle landed near to the bunker, three large figures stepping into the light. Ben stopped dead; he _knew_ that armor..."Phasma," he said to himself.

Rey glanced sharply at him, "What did you say?"

Ben tore his eyes away from the shuttle, "Phasma. She's here. I don't know who that is, but I'm thinking he's the new Master of the Knights. As for the third figure...I'd know that Force-Signature anywhere. He was one of my subordinates in the Knights; he was directly under me in rank. He always wanted to take over, but he feared my power; I shudder to think what he might have become since then. His name is Gavin." As though he'd heard his name, Gavin's head turned to Ben; Rey could have sworn that he'd smiled under his mask. He came at them, faster than it should be possible for anyone to move, sending Force-Waves at anyone that got in his wave, no matter which side they were on.

"So," he said when he'd reached them, "Here is my former Master. I am Master of the Knights of Ren, now. The Darkness commands us all, and all you love will fall and burn before him."

Ben rolled his eyes, "I've heard that before, Gavin. Padme didn't manage it, and neither will your new Master, though there is one thing that has not changed. You remain, as ever, nothing but a dog." Gavin bellowed in rage and charged at Ben, twirling his double-bladed light-saber with great speed and dexterity. As Ben raised his twin blue blades to intercept the blow, their blades sparked and crackled. "Stay back, kids; this fight is your mother's and mine!" Rey sprung over the pair of them, striking at Gavin's back, but he was ready. Before long, they were engaged in a complicated rhythm as Anakin and the twins watched in amazement as their parents fell away and two deadly warriors replaced them. They had always known that their parents were great warriors and they'd heard all the stories about the wars, but now they could _see_ it, and the effect was at once terrifying and awe-inspiring. Wrenching their eyes from their beloved parents, the three Solo children rushed to their Great-Uncle's side, helping him with the mercenaries, whose numbers were quickly beginning to wane.

Finn and Twila were staying carefully away from Thamian's enormous blade when the shuttle landed. They paused for a moment as Gavin disembarked and launched himself into battle with Ben and Rey, but they had no time to notice anything more as they saw the other two figures coming towards them. Finn and Twila gripped the hilts of their light-sabers more tightly as they recognized that signature silver armor: Phasma. The sharp reminder of Finn's former life struck him hard in the gut as he heard Thamian's vicious curse and felt the beast of a man's presence at his side, "What's that witch doing here? She has no business here."

Finn shook his head, "No, I'm guessing that we're finally seeing who's _really_ in charge now."

Phasma and her companion reached them at last, and they got their first good look at their unknown enemy. He was of medium height but powerfully built; he reminded Finn and Twila of someone, but they just couldn't put their fingers on it. Whoever it was was garbed very much like the Knights, though his mask was of black and made of ebony. His robes and cloak were some sort of flowing, shimmering substance that seemed to draw the light out of the very air. A great sense of evil power surged from him, causing those around him to shrink back in fear. "It's been a long time," came the altered voice from behind the mask, "I'm sure you are confused as to my identity, but you'll figure it out soon enough, and no sooner than you should. I see why Padme Solo wore a mask; they are _very_ empowering things, these. No worries, you are not going to die today. You're just going to _hurt_ for a very, very long time." With that, Phasma drew a riot baton from her back, twirling it and engaging its electric current as she advanced on Thamian. Thamian only laughed and roared a challenge at her.

Finn and Twila, however, made no move; they simply waited for their new enemy to make his. At last, he did, drawing from his hip a hilt that was black as night. Twila reached for Finn's hand, taking a half-step backwards. Chuckling, the man engaged the blade; it was as dark as night, sucking the light from the air and emanating a terrible sense of _hunger_. Finn and Twila could feel its hunger for their blood; _this_ was the truth of the Darksaber, and before them stood its bearer. "So, you're the coward that stole a bunch of children. I hope you're proud of yourself." Finn shouted in challenge.

The Darkness laughed at them, bringing the Darksaber in front of him, "You challenge me, Finn 'No-Nerves'? Very well! I accept your challenge. You, your mate, and your half-breed offspring will burn!" The Darkness charged at Finn and Twila, the Darksaber nearly singing as it swung again and again for them. Finn and Twila knew they were outmatched, but still they fought. The most they could manage was to block each blow he aimed their way. Exhaustion began to set in and, at a critical moment, Finn's knees buckled after a particularly powerful blow, sending him to his knees. Hie eyes went wide as the Darksaber came at him, slashing at his chest. " _Finn_!" Screamed Twila, as blood began to seep into Finn's robes from the massive gash on his chest.

The Darkness seemed to smile, turning to look towards the bunker, "Time to go," he said softly, "Not that I haven't enjoyed our little _reunion_ , but I have more important things to see to right now."

Across the field, Ben and Rey were still doing their best with Gavin, but his power had grown to incredible levels, and only seemed to increase as the fight went on. Ben and Rey sensed a disturbance in the Force and heard Twila's scream, both turning towards the sound with ice in their hearts. Just then, Gavin aimed a powerful Force-Blast at them, knocking the breath from their lungs and sending them flying. Gavin stood over Ben, his light-saber raised for the final blow. Just as the blade was about to pierce Ben's heart, Gavin's head snapped up like someone had called his name. He stood still for a moment, then disengaged his light-saber. "You're lucky. My master tells me it's time to go. Another moment, and you'd be dead. Next time, we'll finish this, I promise." With that, the Knight spun on his heel and sprinted back to the shuttle where his Master and Phasma were waiting.

Rey stood and hurried to Ben's side, "Ben," she sobbed, "Are you alright?" Ben nodded, unable to speak, "Thank the Powers. I saw him standing over you, and I thought..." Rey collapsed onto Ben's chest, sobbing.

"It's alright, my Light. I'm fine." He wrapped his arms around his wife, holding her close as the twins hurried over to their parents.

Ben glanced up at them, but saw they were not looking at him. Instead, they were staring towards the bunker. "Dad.." said Padme quietly, "Something's happening in there. I can feel it." Ben and Rey struggled to their feet just in time to see the massive blast-doors explode outwards, and a flood of fully-armed Knights come rushing out. The sight made no sense for a moment until they realized what, exactly, they were seeing. The Knights were running _backwards_ , light-sabers activated; it seemed they were already engaged in battle; indeed, many were already wounded. The battle came to a halt as the Masters and Mercenaries alike turned to watch in bemusement as, with a mighty roar, the Padawans swarmed out of the bunker, wielding their own light-sabers with deadly accuracy and skill. To their further astonishment, Ben and Rey saw little Leia, her face fierce with battle and concentration, at the very head of the army of children.

The Masters were the first to realize what was happening, and let out a cheer of exultation at the sight of their lost Younglings before charging forward to join in the battle. The remaining Knights turned, and upon seeing that they had been caught in a pincer, scattered; it was almost comical in appearance. The surged to the left and right of the bunker, where there stood a number of transport ships, waiting for them. They made it to the ships, and Ben thought to the others, _Let them go. We'll have another opportunity later. Right now, see to the children._ Ben and Rey rushed forward, their youngest daughter in their sights. She turned then, and caught sight of them, as well. Leia turned, grabbed at Han's hand, and dragged him forward so that he could see who had arrived. Rey saw his little face light up, and suddenly, there was nothing that could keep him from getting to his mother. Rey put on more speed, catching Han up in her arms as Ben did the same with Leia. Anakin and the twins hurried behind their parents, and before long, they were a mess of arms and tears as the family was reunited. "We thought we'd lost you," Rey whispered to her two youngest, "Come on; let's go home."

A pair of terrified young voices suddenly rose above the clamor, drawing the attention of the Solo family; it was T'arla, "Dad? _Dad!_ Come on, Dad, get up! Wake up, Dad!" His young voice cut over the plains as the entire gathering fell silent. The only sounds were the wind passing over the fields and the crying of T'arla and Jar'lek over their father's motionless body. Ben and Rey told their children to stay put and hurried to their friends' side.

Twila sat, staring into nothing, with shock in her eyes, holding Finn's head in her lap. His eyes were closed, and he looked so peaceful that he could have been sleeping, but he was far too pale for that, and there was far too much blood pooled on the ground around him. Rey gasped as her hand flew to her mouth, shaking her head in denial as tears began to stream down her face. Luke had beaten them there, and was already kneeling beside their fallen friend, "We've lost him. I can't sense him." A high-pitched keening sound came from Twila's throat and her pink eyes lost all sense.

Ben and Rey felt someone pushing at their knees, and stepped apart, "Wait," came Leia's small voice, "Wait. He's not dead, not yet, but he won't last long. I think I can save him, if I can have the other Padawans help me." Twila's pink eyes snapped back to Leia's brown ones, a glimmer of intelligence returning to them. Leia nodded, "That's right. I might be able to save him, but we need medical facilities."

One of the Chancellor's men spoke up, "We have medical facilities on-board our ship, young Master. Will they suffice?"

Leia looked him directly in the eye and probed his mind, "Yes. They will do, for now. Forgive the intrusion into your mind, but there was no time. Master Thamian, will you please carry him?" Thamian nodded, his green eyes unusually grave, as he bent to lift the much smaller man. Finn's head lolled uselessly as he was lifted from the ground, causing an odd choking sound to come from Twila's throat. Leia reached out to the other Padawans, _My friends, we don't have much time. We've got to help Master No-Nerves. You managed to save me by yourselves, now please help me save him._ She sensed assent from every Padawan with any healing ability at all, and nodded as she turned to Han, who had followed her like a baby duck, "I need you to _stay here_ with Mom and Dad, okay? You don't need to see what I'm going to have to do." Han nodded with tears in his little amber eyes, squeezing himself in close to his mother's leg. Leia and Thamian hurried into the ship that the soldier had indicated, leading a long line of young Padawans, and no few Masters, who wished to offer their services to save the life of the beloved and well-respected Master No-Nerves. Leia led Thamian to the medbay and he laid the lifeless, utterly still body of Finn on a hard, metal exam table. "Okay," she said, "Let's get to work. Thamian, please leave. I mean no disrespect, but it you stay, it may cause you harm." Thamian nodded, his eyes still grave, and crossed the large room in three long strides, the doors sliding shut behind him. Leia turned back to her patient, her mouth a grim line, "You know what to do. Keep his heart beating while I heal the wounds. I'll need every bit of strength I can borrow, and I'll need you to let me into your minds with no trouble." The assembled group followed her instructions to the letter, and fell into a trance-like state that often comes in the face of a long and daunting task. It would be nearly three days before any of them were heard from again.

***Author's Note***

Poor Finn! Oh, no, what will happen! I know, you're probably hating me and my love of cliffhangers right about now, but hey; I have to make sure you come back to read more somehow. ^_- Anyway, I'll try to get more put up tonight, but no guarantees. Thanks for reading! Lots of love, Darkwind out!


	12. Chapter 12

***Author's Note***

Good evening! Oh, this chapter is so full of just... _stuff_. There's a lot of stuff to this chapter. Oh, the feels! Hope you like it!

***End Note

Ben and Rey paced in the hallway while Twila sat, staring into nothing, with Luke sitting beside her, an arm around her slim shoulders. The children had gone to bed two days ago, when Ben and Rey had noticed that they could barely keep their eyes open, including Finn and Twila's boys. The children had tried for the first day, but they had finally allowed Ben and Rey to steer them into their beds. They couldn't be blamed for their exhaustion; they'd been through quite the ordeal for the last few weeks. The twins had put on a good face, but Ben could sense how exhausted they'd been. Rey had given orders that the children who had been taken were not to be disturbed. It had taken them that first day and half of the second to see to all of the wounded children – amazingly, none of the children had been killed. Many, however, were wounded, and the signs of torture were obvious; Ben wondered how long it would take them to undo the mental damage that this little "adventure" had caused. The Orders were greatly relieved that they would be able to inform the families of the taken children of that fact; messengers had already been dispatched to various families. Word had already begun to spread through Naboo, and from there to the rest of the galaxy, of the wrath of the Jedi and Neutral Orders and an echoing anger had begun to spread from planet to planet. Gossip, Ben found, traveled faster than light. It had been three days since they'd saved the Padawans and Finn had been grievously wounded, and Ben was privately beginning to wonder if he could be saved at all. Just then, a messenger came running up, interrupting Ben's reverie, "Master Solo! I'm sorry to bother you, Sir, but it's the Chancellor. She's here, Sir. She wants to see you, Sir."

Ben sighed and nodded, "Very well, then. Lead on." He paused when he reached Twila and laid his cybernetic left hand gently on her shoulder, "It's going to be alright. I'll be back soon, and Rey will be here with you. Have faith, old friend." With that, Ben strode after the messenger, his long legs taking one stride for every three of the much shorter man's. If the situation were different, Ben would have found it amusing, the way the man nearly had to run to keep up with him, but as it was, Ben was far too occupied with thoughts of Finn. He was so distracted that he didn't notice when the man stopped, nor did he notice his mother shushing her entourage and hurrying after him, quickly catching up to him and matching her stride to his.

Leia reached out and gently brushed her mind against his own. Ben glanced around and jumped when he saw his mother walking silently beside him, "I was wondering how long it would take you to notice me here. How are you holding up? How are the children?"

Ben sighed, "I'm alright, I suppose. I'm beginning to wonder if Finn can be saved. I love him dearly, Mother, but I'm starting to think he's lost already. As for the children, all of them have been examined, save those that are working on Finn right now; they were horrifically tortured. They're all saying that Leia kept them together, though, and that she healed every one of them of the worst of their injuries. She has apparently been keeping herself on one-quarter rations, twice a day, so that Han didn't have to go hungry. Now, she's in there, heading the effort to save Finn. When did my baby girl get to be so grown up? She's only eight, Mother! And yet, she acted as someone four times her age would have."

Leia smiled, "Our children frequently astonish us, my son. You and Padme were nearly that mature when you were that age. I think being Force-Sensitive may have something to do with it. They are truly amazing, children; even the 'regular' ones are more adaptable than you could ever imagine, and they have the oddest habit of surprising people, especially their parents." Ben sighed and wrapped his good arm around his mother's shoulders, drawing her nearer to him, "I know that, Mother – I have the privilege of seeing it every day in those I teach. But still. I feel like I failed them, somehow by not protecting them better."

To Ben's surprise, his mother laughed as she wrapped an arm around his waist, "Oh, sweetheart. I know you want to protect them, but all children grow up sometime. These will just grow up a little faster. But then, they would have anyway; they're training to be Jedi, and the training _always_ accelerates maturity. It's a necessary evil, or you get Jedi like your Grandfather. Now they know that the training isn't just a bunch of games, and it's not all theoretical. They know now that sometimes, the only one who can help them _is_ them. They'll be fine, you'll see."

 _Father. Something is happening in the medbay,_ came Anakin's frantic thought. "I'm sorry, Mother. I have to go."

Leia nodded, "I understand. I love you, my son."

Ben gave his mother a quick, one-armed hug as he shot back at Anakin, _I'm on my way_. Ben turned on his heel and sprinted back the way he'd come, his robes billowing around him as he went. He came to a halt at the medbay doors, which now stood open. All that Ben could hear was Twila's broken sobs, and the higher sound of her children weeping. Taking a deep, steadying breath, Ben stepped through the door, dreading what he would find. The first thing Ben saw were the brown-and-gray lumps of fabric laying, motionless on the floor; it was as though a knockout gas had been released in the room. Next, he saw the ashen, weary look on his youngest daughter's face, and the dull look in her eyes; that was all he needed to see for a lump of ice to form in his gut. He knew, now what he would find as he came through the door. He knew, without looking, that he'd see a pale, lifeless shell where his best friend had once been.

"Enough, woman! You're acting like I died! I'm fine. Ooh! Okay, maybe not _fine_ , but I'm alive! Okay, I'm sore as hell everywhere but my torso, but that's normal, isn't it?" Twila's sobbing grew louder, "Okay, now my ears hurt. Boys, you're not helping. Your mother is hysterical; can't you two get a hold of yourselves?" Came an uncharacteristically cranky voice, but even so, it was still unmistakable.

Ben rushed the last few feet to Finn's bedside. He was ashen-faced, alright, and he _definitely_ had looked better, but, "You son of a bitch! You scared me half to death! I thought we'd lost you. Well. You could have had the manners to die properly, at least. Now everyone feels like an idiot for being so worried about you, stubborn old No-Nerves." Ben 's amber eyes sparkled with mischief, as did Finn's brown ones, though they both kept a perfectly straight face. Ben had the satisfaction of hearing Twila give one last, shocked hiccough, then fall silent, as did everyone else in the room, save for Rey. She kept up the act as long as she could, before one long, loud snort broke the silence. Thamian was the first to catch on to the joke, then, and his signature, booming laugh soon filled the dreary room with new light and new life, and Ben lurched forward to embrace his old friend in joy. It was like someone had opened a window in a stuffy room; suddenly, there was laughter everywhere, and the unconscious Masters and Padawans alike were carted out, leaving only those with all their wits about them. Even the Togorians joined in the fun, adding a feral undertone to the revelry that somehow reminded them that, though they'd won a skirmish, they had come nowhere near to winning the war. But rather than dampen the mood, it seemed to give it a keener edge; an air of desperate need for fun came over the room, and those still present quickly grew as loopy as though they had drunk an entire barrel of Corellian ale.

It was then that his youngest daughter caught his eye. She had fresh scars on her face and hands (those being the only exposed areas of her skin), and enormous, purple bags under her eyes. She stood faithfully by her patient, however, administering to his needs with the calm, assured air of a hardened professional. A hard lump formed in his throat and his eyes swam with pride. He knew, then, that his baby girl was gone, and a young woman had appeared, overnight, in her place. It shattered him for a moment, that realization that he only had one baby left, but the pain passed, and left only the pride as a wave of warmth spread from his heart to the rest of him; even his fingertips tingled with the joy of that moment. He nearly called to her, then, to tell her she should go to bed, but just before he did, he realized she wouldn't go, even if he _did_ tell her to. As far as she was concerned, she was working, and Finn was her patient, and that was just fine with Ben. So instead, he walked up close behind her and said in her ear, "I'm very proud of you, Leia. Finn couldn't be in better hands. Get some rest when you can, though, okay?"

Leia smiled and nodded at him, "I will, Father. What about the others? Are they alright? I just remember their minds falling away one by one until it was just me and Master No-Nerves."

Ben chuckled, "Oh, they're fine. They just thought it was time to take a little nap. On the floor. Unwillingly. They were carried out just a few moments ago."

Leia stifled a yawn, "Good. That's good. I'm glad. Now, if you don't mind, I think my patient needs some rest. Everyone out, please, except his wife, but _only if she promises to stop making a ruckus!_ " This last was said so fiercely that Twila jerked back for a moment at the vehemence in the small one's face before she nodded, her eyes wide. "Good. Then you may stay, but your husband needs his rest. He's not completely out of trouble yet; he could still be lost – he just has a better chance of survival now. I've done all I can do; the rest is up to his body." With that, Leia shooed them all out of the medbay, even Thamian and the Togorians, who hurried to get out of her way before she could find something large and heavy to hurl at them. _Yes_ , thought Ben, _she definitely takes after her Grandmother._

Slowly, pair by pair, they drifted off to bed, leaving Matthew and Lilia alone to wander the ship. Neither spoke for a long moment, each simply content to be near the other, until finally Lilia broke the silence, "This ship is so large. Ten _Falcons_ could fit in here, and there would still be room!"

Matthew smiled, "Yes, I forgot; you were essentially raised on the _Falcon_ , weren't you? It must have been exciting, traveling the galaxy at such a young age."

Lilia grimaced slightly, "Not really. You see, both of my parents died in the war. My father died on D'Qar, and my mother died on Kashyyk, during the final battle."

Matthew stopped short, staring at her, "I'm so sorry. I suppose I always assumed that you were Master Dameron's daughter. We've all heard the story of his wife and child; I guess I just thought you'd escaped, or been with him when it happened. He must have adopted you, then? So, why were those years not enjoyable?"

Lilia smiled wanly, "Well, I wasn't exactly _happy,_ at first. I missed my parents terribly, and wanted nothing more than to go back to them. I threw some awful temper fits; that's how my father got that scar on his forehead. I lashed out through the Force, and sent a mirror at him, which shattered on his hard head. I felt absolutely awful as soon as it happened, but the way he treated me made me feel worse."

Matthew nodded in understanding, "He must have been really cross."

Lilia shook her head, "No, not at all. In fact, he just said, 'I understand, little one. You throw whatever you think you need to at me. Hurts will heal; _you're_ the important thing here. As long as you heal, and you feel better, I'll take whatever you can throw at me.' I never lashed out like that at him again. My father loved me from the moment he saw me. I'm very lucky, and I knew it; it just took me a while to _understand_ it. My father showed me that, even though you lost one family, it doesn't mean you can't find or build another. It wasn't until he told me what happened to _his_ family that he started to get through to me, though. My father has more patience and kindness in his heart than anyone I've ever met." She glanced up at Matthew, to see him staring at her, his eyes soft. "Oh, I'm sorry! Listen to me, going on and on. I'm sure you have things you'd like to talk about."

Matthew smiled at her, "Nonsense. I love hearing about your childhood. It's funny, isn't it? We've known each other all these years, and yet it's only _now_ that we're really _getting to know_ each other."

"Master Rey says that you can look someone dead in the face for decades, and yet they can still find ways to surprise you. She says that even the people you _think_ you know can show you a new side of them, fifteen years down the road. I'm sure she was talking about Master Ben, but it's still true, no matter _who_ she was talking about."

Matthew watched her for a moment, his head cocked to one side so his flame-like hair fell out from behind his ear, where he obsessively tucked it. "You, Lilia Dameron, are perhaps the most surprising person I've ever met. I like it, to be honest." He reached out and snagged a lock of her ebony hair that had fallen out of its military-style braid, tucking it tenderly behind her ear, where his hand lingered for just a moment longer than necessary, and her heart leaped in response. She leaned towards him, thinking to kiss him, but at the last moment, his eyes popped wide, the blood drained form his face, and he pulled back suddenly. "I...I'm sorry. This is...I mean...We...I have to go..." With that, he turned on his heel and rushed off, his robes fluttering around his ankles and his hair flying, leaving Lilia feeling distinctly confused.

Hearing a chuckle behind her, Lilia spun around with a gasp, tears in her eyes, "Master Skywalker! How long have you been there?"

Luke smiled and reached out; Lilia hurried to him, looping his arm through hers, and walking beside him. "Don't mind Matthew so much, my dear. He's just a little nervous, that's all. You have to understand; his whole life, from the time we found him, he's been tailored for the singular purpose of becoming a Jedi. Now, I doubt that I could ever have a better Padawan or heir, but I do not believe that he made the correct decision. Don't get me wrong; I am incredibly proud of the man he has become, not to mention the Jedi Master. However, I still believe he made the wrong choice. I doubted from the day that I met Matthew that he was truly meant to be a full Jedi. Was he powerful in the Force? Undoubtedly. Was he meant to be a Jedi? No. I have no doubt of that. I know the ones, and he was not. Not _ever_. However, for some reason that he has not allowed me to see, and I have been unable to guess, he felt oddly drawn to me. Now, he sees me less as a Master, and more as a father. It is true that I essentially raised him, but even so, I still do not understand why he is so afraid. Yes, my dear, he is afraid. He is afraid to fall in love, as many are, but the root of this is far deeper than not wanting to disappoint me. No, there is something else going on. Let me talk to him, my dear. I'll figure out what it is that is bothering him, and beat it out of him."

Lilia stared at the aging Jedi, more confused than ever, "Of course, Master, but why? You are a Jedi Master; isn't this sort of thing forbidden in your Order?

Luke laughed, "It is, yes, but my dear, I would never make one of my Order, or anyone, for that matter, choose between love and duty. That is, after all, how my Father fell. He was torn between the woman he loved and the Order that had taken him in as a child. It tore him up inside until he became Darth Vader."

"That's terrible," Lilia responded with a shiver.  
Luke nodded, "It is, yes. If I can help to save anyone from such a fate, I will do so, and gladly. No one deserves such a fate as that."

Lilia paused, pulling Luke to a halt, and smiled, "I think I understand, Master. It doesn't matter if they are friend, dear loved one, or foe; they still deserve our compassion and understanding. My father has been trying to teach me that my entire life; his Bond-Brother taught it to him, as it was taught to him by Rey Solo. And to her, I suppose, by the Kenobi line, through her blood. Thank you, Master Skywalker. I will meditate on your wisdom."

As she walked back down the hall towards her own quarters, Luke smiled to himself, "I always said she had more sense and wisdom than her father knew what to do with. She will make a fine Council member, when she is old enough and has gained enough experience. I would not be surprised if she took over the Neutral Academy at some point. Anyway, on with business." With that, the gray, wrinkled old Jedi slipped soundlessly up the hall with the grace and fluidity of a man one-third his age. He finally tracked down his slippery Apprentice in one of the Mess Halls on the massive ship. Sighing, he walked quietly up to the young man and sat beside him, ready to simply listen.

"I feel like I'm being torn apart, Master. I fear I am beginning to care for her, Master Luke, in a way that is forbidden to a Jedi. I feel I have failed you, my Master, and I am frightened of what this means for me. Am I so weak that I am so easily swayed by a woman?" Young Master Matthew Shellac fell silent, shaking his head.

Again, Luke chuckled, "I think you're giving yourself far too much credit, my young Apprentice. You could never disappoint me. _Never_. If it is in your heart to possess someone, then it is not my place to deny it to you. To do so would simply cause another Darth Vader, and that is a fate I would wish on no man, no matter how he had wronged me. If your heart is leading you to Lilia, then listen to it."

Matthew sat staring at his beloved Master for a long moment with a look of complete shock on his face before he smiled, "Thank you, Master. I will meditate on this." Matthew stood and paced slowly, thoughtfully from the room. Luke sat watching him for a moment, smiled, and paced off in the opposite direction, deciding to take the long way to his own quarters and enjoy the sense of peace that pervaded the ship.

***Author's Note***

Dang it, Matthew! Why do men have to be so stubborn? Ah, well. This chapter was so very much fun. Thank you for reading!


	13. Chapter 13

***Author's Note***

Hello, my friends! I hope you're not too angry with me for tricking you like that in the last chapter, but hey; I've got to have _some_ fun writing this, don't I? Haha, anyway, this is a pretty important chapter. Up til now, we've had no motivation and no name to put to the villain behind these heinous attacks; that's all going to change now. Curveball number...which one are we up to? I have no idea, but it's going to be fun, so here we go!

***End Note***

Later that evening, Luke sat alone in his quarters, thinking over Lilia and Matthew's situation. As he leaned his back against the wall, ignoring the aches that had settled into his bones over the years, he felt the unmistakable tingling in the air that always preceded Han's arrival. "Hello, my old friend. How are things in the ether?"

Han's ghostly laugh echoed through the small room, "Better than you, old man. _I_ don't ache in my bones anymore. Well, I was glad to hear the children are fine. Of course, I figured they would be, but still. Now, though, you've got another set of worries."

Luke leaned back, crossing his arms, "Yes, I was just thinking about that. Who _is_ our mysterious enemy in the mask? I thought for certain the new Bearer would have a grudge against Ben, Rey, or myself, but it would seem I was wrong. He headed _straight_ for Finn and Twila. Not to mention that he taunted them before he attacked. It doesn't make any sort of sense that _I_ can see."

Han chimed in, "Ah, but you _can't_ see. Blind, no eyes, remember, old man?"

Luke's mouth twitched at the corner as he shook his head and sighed, " _As_ I was saying: It doesn't make any sense. For the majority of the war, Finn and Twila's powers were kept a secret; Leia and I saw to it personally. There were perhaps ten people who were privy to that information, and every last one of them was loyal to the Resistance; I checked them myself. I can't think of a single Force-User that they faced who would have a grudge against them. Besides, the small number of Knights that faced them are all dead, and none of them knew who Finn and Twila were – just a couple of nameless Jedi to them. The Darkness, as he calls himself, seemed to know them personally, and has apparently kept track of them since the war. Certainly someone that powerful, I would have had interaction with, but he was not familiar to me. I had never sensed him before, I'm certain of it. What do you make of it, old friend?"

Han crossed his arms over his chest and chewed at his bottom lip, unconsciously mirroring Luke's posture, "I'm not sure, myself. Although, I think you _are_ overlooking something fairly obvious. If you never came across him, and neither did anyone else, save Finn and Twila, maybe he kept his powers a secret during the war as well."

Luke's jaw unhinged and his eyebrows winged up, "Of _course_! How did I not make that connection!? That would answer a great many questions. It also increases the number of suspects exponentially, unfortunately. I think, though, that we can automatically cross any names off the list that they would have encountered while they were with the rest of us."

Han cocked his head to one side, "How about Poe? He and Finn were inseparable during to war – not that there's any difference _there_."

Luke opened his mouth to disagree but shut it again, considering. "Hmm. That would actually narrow the list considerably. Thank you, old friend. I'll need to speak with them first thing in the morning. Huh. You know something odd? It's been nearly sixteen years now since my eyes were cut out, but I still have trouble with sleeping sometimes. Isn't that strange?"

Han smiled, "You always _were_ a stubborn one, Kid. You'll manage. You always do."

With a quiet chuckle, Han faded from the room, leaving Luke alone with his thoughts once again. "Why do I get the feeling that he knows _exactly_ who our enemy is? Now that he's dead, Han always seems to know _everything_ before anybody else." Luke smiled to himself as he laid down carefully, and tried to relax his mind into sleep. It was always a very difficult task, as he no longer had any eyelids to shut, but after a few hours, he finally managed it and slid into a peaceful sleep.

The next morning, Finn and Twila were sitting together on Finn's medbay bed, talking over what had happened on the battlefield less than a week previously. Finn's head jerked up and he held a hand up, silencing his wife. He smiled when the doors slid open to admit Luke, "Good morning, Master! How are you feeling today?" Finn called genially.

Luke smiled widely, "I feel better than you do, I'd wager. _I_ didn't try to die on anyone recently. I'd love to continue the pleasantries, but I'm afraid I must speak with you – it is terribly important."

Finn and Twila exchanged a worried glance, "Yeah, we thought you'd come by sooner or later. The Darkness, or whatever his real name is. We've been trying to puzzle it out; he felt incredibly familiar to us, but we couldn't put our fingers on it. Do you have any theories, Master?"

Young Leia hurried over just then, "No, I'm sorry, but I cannot allow this conversation, not now. My patient is simply too worn out. Any stress may well kill him right now."

Finn rolled his eyes, "Really, kid? You're eight years old, and you're trying to tell me what I can and can't talk about? Normally, I'd say fine, we'll talk later, but this is important. I promise I won't get upset."

Leia's eyes narrowed, making her look so much like her Grandmother that the effect was truly chilling, "You need to stay _put_ , or you'll bleed to death. I'll allow the conversation, but _don't move a muscle_ , or I'll make Thamian _sit_ on you! Or, I'll just ask Father to _make_ you sit still..." There was no lie in her eyes; Leia was perfectly serious with her threat, "That's no moving _at all_! I don't care if your butt itches! You've got a wife; there's nowhere on you she hasn't seen. Ask _her_ to scratch it for you, but _no moving_!"

Finn's eyebrows shot up, "Alright, alright. I get the picture. No moving. Got it, Doc. So, back to the topic at hand. What theories do you have, Master? I'm sure you must have some, or you wouldn't be here."

Luke nodded, "You've grown wise, No-Nerves. You are correct, of course. I happen to have a theory or two. I need you to think very carefully about anyone who'd have a grudge against the two of you."

Finn raised an eyebrow, "I'd shrug, but I'm afraid of amputation by munchkin. We tried that line of thought first, but we couldn't come up with any Force-User who'd have any reason to cause us harm."

Luke was already shaking his head before Finn stopped speaking, "No, I didn't ask if you could think of any _Force-Users_ that had a grudge against you. I asked if you could think of _anyone_ with a grudge. My first theory is that whoever our masked menace is, he hid his powers during the war, and probably for a long time before that. Second, I can't help but think that the location that he ordered the children held at must hold some significance. If he truly wanted the children well-hidden, why would he have chosen Naboo? There are so many other planets that are less friendly to us, harder to get to, and all around more difficult planets. So, why Naboo? It must have some special significance to him, or perhaps it was a message? Thoughts?

Finn and Twila had gone eerily silent, staring at each other with wide eyes and pale faces, "It can't be," whispered Twila.

"But it has to be," whispered Finn, "He's the only one who fits all the criteria. Think about it, Twila," he began ticking facts off on his fingers, " _Definitely_ has a reason to hold a grudge against us. Vanished after the war. Seemed to have no Force ability at all. Evil enough to torture children? Probably. Met him on Naboo. Twila, it all fits! It _has_ to be him!"

Twila's face paled further. "True, we _did_ lose track of him with all the goings-on of the war. First, Ben's near-death, then the revelation about Padme, then the subsequent battles, and so on. I thought we'd seen the last of that evil prat."

Finn nodded, "I'd hoped so, too."

Luke cleared his throat, "Okay, um, forgive me if I'm a bit slow, but who, exactly, are you two talking about?"

Finn looked away from his wife and gazed directly at Luke, "Salvor Bahr."

Luke's eyebrows shot up, "Now, _there's_ a name I haven't heard in a very long time."

Just then, Ben, Rey, and Poe walked in, and a low whistle came from between Poe's lips, "Okay," Ben said from the doorway, "I'll bite. Who's Salvor Bahr?"

Luke was the first to answer, "We think he may be the face under the mask, and the man who nearly killed Finn less than a week ago."

Ben's eyes narrowed, "Oh, really? I'd like to get my hands on this Salvor guy. So, who _is_ he, anyway?"

Finn sighed and began to speak, "Okay, so while you two were marooned on Ord Biniir, Poe and I were sent to Naboo to sniff out a traitor."

Ben let out a low whistle, "Ord Biniir. Now _that's_ a blast from the past!"

Finn snorted, "Okay, you two, bring it back to the present, please. He was in charge of the Naboo Command Center back in those days – sort of a civilian attache to the Resistance. Anyway, at first, he welcomed us with open arms, or so it seemed. But the first night we were there, a Force-Gifted assassin nearly killed Poe, but I managed to kill her first."

"I don't like to think about that night. Almost got murdered because of my own sex drive!" Poe shuddered at the memory.

"Trust me; I don't like thinking about your naked butt, either, but there you have it. Anyway, that was also when Twila and I met. The three of us worked together to hunt down a few links, and those links confirmed our theories that Salvor was the mole. We trapped him in his own scam, but before we could apprehend him, we got the call to return to base, and he escaped. Before we recovered enough of our wits to know what was happening, he had vanished from the galaxy altogether. We never found out what happened to him. I guess we always assumed that he just...died. I'm thinking now that we were wrong, and we should have looked harder after the war ended. I have little doubt in my heart that I'm right. I can feel the truth of this in my heart."

Luke nodded, "Then we are finally on the right track. We just need to...Ah. Never mind. It seems my sister has come to us. Hello, Leia."

Leia's throaty, husky chuckle came from behind her twin, "Hello, Luke. So. You needed to speak with me? What is it?"

Luke spoke before the others had the chance, "It seems that we have discovered the most likely candidate for our friendly neighborhood masked menace. Salvor Bahr; what do you know about him?"

The blood drained from Leia's face and she staggered to one side, groping for a chair. As she lowered herself carefully into one, her brother rushed anxiously to her side, taking her hand in his own. "Salvor Bahr. Now, that's a name I haven't heard in a very long time. He was one of my adopted father's closest advisers, but when Dantooine was destroyed, he was not on the planet. We always thought it was blind luck, but now I realize it was something far more than that. Once Finn, Poe, and Twila exposed him, I assumed that he had received inside information that Dantooine was going to be attacked, and stayed away. Now, however, I see that it was the Force that steered him away then, and it was the Force that helped him to escape on Naboo fifteen years ago. Oh, what a fool I've been. I have known him for most of my life, and never once did I suspect him! For pity's sake, who could possibly live to be his age? He must be long past one hundred by now; what human has that kind of life span? Don't answer that; I know exactly what kind. A Sith. He's a damned Sith, and I never saw it, not for my whole life."

Luke had heard enough. He lunged towards his beloved twin, wrapping his arms securely around her, "Now, that's enough of that. This isn't your fault, Leia. Salvor's actions are his own, as they have always been. All we can do now is to stop him before anyone else gets hurt. Where would he go, Leia? Do you have any idea at all?"

Leia began to shake her head, but stopped, mid-shake, "Wait. The old Jedi temple on Coruscant. If he's older than even my father would have been, then who's to say he's not as old as Obi-Wan would have been, or older? Anything is possible through the Force."

Luke had straightened suddenly at his twin's words, "By the Powers, you may be right. The Sith have been known to be able to extend their lives, long beyond the point of their natural span. I must meditate on this." As he rushed out, he sensed the children, standing just outside the medbay, "Well; I suppose we couldn't hide this one from you, could we? I suppose you've all proven yourselves to be as capable as the most highly trained Masters, so why not? I suppose you should have your questions answered, the same as the rest of us."

It was Padme that stepped forward to answer him, "Thank you, Master, but I think we've heard enough to have all of our questions answered. We'll just go in now, and see where our services would be best put to use."

Lilia stopped Luke for only a moment before he went on his way, "Master? Where is Matthew? I think he should know what's happened, and I'd like to be the one who tells him."

Luke raised an eyebrow at her and chuckled, "Well, then. If that's the way you feel about it, he stepped outside. He took a walk on in the pastures; well, those that aren't riddled with bodies, anyway. Such a waste of life that was. It's a real shame." Luke shook his head sadly as he walked off, heading for his own quarters to meditate, while Lilia hurried off to find the elusive Matthew Shellac.

***Author's Note***

Oh, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. As for the villain, those of you who haven't read Brotherly Bond should really stop now and go back, read that one, and then you'll understand who this prat is. He's not finished yet with our good heroes (and heroines). The journey is just beginning, and it's going to be a real doozy! Hope you enjoyed! Thanks for reading, my dears. ^_^


	14. Chapter 14

***Author's Note***

Good Morning, everyone! I know, I know; it's been a long time since my last update. I'm so, so sorry about that! I've been extremely busy in my personal life. Okay, so; this chapter, our friends start planning. Ooooo, planning! It's going to be interesting. We have a sweet Lilia/Matthew moment, but mostly, it's Finn, Twila and Pow in this chapter. Enjoy!

***End Note***

Lilia left the ship, not really sure _where_ she was heading, just following Matthew's Force-Signature. The further away from the ship she got, the heavier the stink of death and decaying flesh hing in the air. After about half an hour's walk, she came across another Jedi Master; this one was a tall, dignified, orange-skinned Twi'lek. "Excuse me, Master," she said as he turned to her, "Have you seen Master Shellac? I have some important information for him."

The Twi'lek raised an eyebrow and nodded, "Yes, Maser Dameron. He's over in that direction, helping clean up the battlefield."

"Thank you, Master." Lilia hurried off in the direction he'd indicated, searching for Matthew's Signature. Before long, she came to the first body. Lilia had seen death before, of course, but it was different this time. Up until now, she'd only ever seen fresh death. This body, though, had clearly been there a while. All manner of creatures had already taken to snacking on the remains of the poor, unfortunate soul. Maggots were pouring from the corpse's eyes, nose, and mouth. Something had else had bitten chunks out of him, not to mention the chewed-off fingers. Even as she stood staring at the gruesome remains, a crow fluttered to the ground and began tearing chunks of flesh from his arm. Lilia's stomach turned over, then, and she vomited loudly into the grass. As she fell to her knees, heaving, she heard someone calling her name. Gazing blearily around, she saw Matthew running towards her, robes flapping and his red, curly hair flying, with fear in his eyes.

"Lilia! Are you alright?" He rubbed her back and kept her hair out of the way as another wave of nausea washed over her and she vomited again.

Lilia nodded, "I'm fine. It's just...I've never seen a decomposing body before."

Matthew nodded, "Ah. Well, _this_ poor fellow would make stronger stomachs than yours revolt. Don't worry; I won't tell anyone about this." He winked merrily at her, "But what is it that you're doing here? Is Master No-Nerves alright?"

Lilia took a deep breath, settling her stomach and being very careful not to look back at the corpse, "He's just fine. In fact, he and Master Doroturo think they've figured out who the new Bearer is." Matthew's eyebrows raised, "They think it's a man by the name of Salvor Bahr. Apparently, he was a traitor and a mole during the war, but he escaped before they could take him into custody. It seems that he went into hiding, but somewhere along the way, he came across the Darksaber. Now, it looks like he's got it out for Finn and Twila."

Matthew's brow furrowed in thought, "Well, that explains a few things. I get the feeling things are going to get a _lot_ worse before they get better. Where is Master Luke?"

Matthew offered her his hand and helped her to her feet as she answered him, "Last anyone heard, he was going to meditate in his quarters. The only ones who seem to actually understand how bad the situation is are Finn, Twila, and the Chancellor. The rest of us are mostly just confused. It looks like he hid his powers for _decades_. I'm not sure how they know that, but it seems like the Chancellor knew him better than anyone – she had the strongest reaction to his identity. I mean, he _has_ to be powerful if he could hide from _Luke_. Id be impressed if he weren't responsible for torturing Children."

The pair turned and began walking towards the massive transport ship, "Come with me; I know where my Master's quarters are located. I think I need to speak with him personally. Maybe he can explain to us a bit further who this Salvor Bahr is." Lilia nodded, content to follow quietly after him, lost in her own thoughts. She'd known Master No-Nerves for nearly her entire life, and she had _never_ seen him so nervous. That alone had Lilia gnawing anxiously at her bottom lip. She tended to judge things by the ever-stoic Master No-Nerves' reactions to varying situations. If he showed no signs of concern, then it wasn't terribly serious. If he _did_ , well, run for the hills. Her adoptive Father, on the other hand, treated everything like it was a joke, so it was impossible to tell whether or not _he_ was worried.

At last, they entered the borrowed transport and Matthew took a sharp left turn, hurrying on his way up the hall, turning this way and that so that before long, Lilia was utterly lost. Matthew glanced back and smiled softly at her, sending her heart to twitching once again, "Not much further, now. Just a few more turns."

Sure enough, four turns later, a door stood open, Luke leaning against the door frame, "I've been waiting for you two. The pair of you have an incredibly distinct Force-Signature."

Lilia shook her head; though he was blind, Lilia had always known Luke Skywalker to be at _least_ five steps ahead of everyone else. Anyone who could fool, bamboozle, or surprise him was to be highly respected – or feared.

"So, I'm guessing you already know why we're here?"

Luke smiled slightly, "Perceptive, as always, my dear. Yes, I know why you're here . Come in and have a seat, the both of you. It would seem that there is a very great deal that you two, in particular, need to be caught up on. I sense that you will be instrumental in this war. Oh, yes; don't underestimate him. It seems that we already have done so once. We are at war once again, and one we didn't see coming. So; where to begin? Salvor Bahr was once the trusted adviser to the King and Queen of Dantooine."

Back in the medbay, Finn, Twila, and Poe sat closely together, going through everything they knew – or guessed – about Salvor Bahr. Twila sat at the right side of Finn's sickbed, playing with his hand and forearm, while Poe sat at the left with his arms crossed over his chest and his legs stretched out before him, crossed at the ankles. Poe looked to be the perfect picture of relaxed calm, but only Finn knew that he was in turmoil below the surface. Normally, he stayed silent during Force-related discussions, but not today, "So, I get how good ole Salvor knew about you and me, but how did he figure out that _Twila_ had been part of bringing him down?"

Finn thought for only a moment before answering, "Well, I suppose it wouldn't have been _that_ difficult to figure out, especially if he'd been on Kashyyk – which he must have been. How else would he have gotten his hands on the Darksaber?"

"How else, indeed?" Twila muttered as her pink eyes unfocused and her lek'ku twitched while she sank into the Force, seeking answers.

Finn raised an eyebrow, "Interesting." At Poe's confused look, Finn hastily added, "Oh, sorry! She's trying to see if there was anyone alive _on_ the battlefield at the time. If you remember, there were reports from our guards about a shadowy figure lurking around the battlefield at night. It got to be that they could mark their time by the figure's appearances and disappearances. The figure just started showing up one night, and then just as suddenly as his visits began, they ended. After about three weeks, the figure vanished before he was due, and never appeared again."

Poe's brow knit in thought, "Huh. It seems that I _do_ remember that. I never thought anything of it, though. I always figured they were just the product of bored soldiers trying to entertain each other with scary ghost stories." He smirked suddenly to himself, "But then, if _you_ remember, we were all a bit cocksure back then."

Finn chuckled, "Indeed, we were, but then, this is coming from the man who seemed to have the odd desire to sleep hi way through the entire Resistance!"

Poe laughed in earnest, his brown eyes twinkling, "Ah, yes. Those were the days. Although, to be honest, after Valerie, I just couldn't bring myself to let nay woman into my life – or my bed, for that matter – for more than a night or two. I thought I'd never love again, until a six-year-old wound me around her little finger, and kept me there." Finn's head snapped around at the mention of Poe's deceased wife. He'd only heard him mention her a handful of times in the many years they had known each other. Poe glanced over just in time to see the dumbfounded look on Finn's face, "Yeah, I know. I don't talk about her much, if at all. I don't know why, but she's been on my mind for a while now. I can't seem to put my finger on why." Poe shook his head, "Sorry, buddy. Some days, I still wake up expecting to feel her beside me, but then I roll over, and she's still not there." Poe's voice cracked and he looked away, wiping his eyes.

Finn watched his bond-brother sympathetically, "I know. I can't even begin to imagine what I'd do in your position. No, that's a lie. I know _exactly_ what I'd do. I'd tear the galaxy apart until I found those responsible, then I'd tear _them_ apart. But then, that's just how I'd handle it. I know you did things...differently. Did you ever find those behind Valerie's death?"

Poe sighed and shook his head, "No. Even during the war, there was just no information to be found. I searched for a long time before we met, but I never found anything to so much as point me in the right direction."

Finn frowned, "Well, maybe we can find something _now_."

Poe stared at his Bond-Brother, "Are you insane? It's been twenty years! I'll never find anything now."

Finn chuckled, "Well, you never know. Maybe if we go back to where it happened, I could pick up on something. I get the feeling that Salvor will bide his time for a little while, now that we've foiled one of his plans. I have no doubt whatsoever that he has _many_ laid out. He's no fool – this, we already know, and intimately."

Just then, Twila came out of her trance, startling both of the men, "Yes; he may be a diabolical old man, but he's nobody's fool."

"Geez, woman! Warn us next time. Well, at least warn your husband."

Twila grinned impishly at Poe, "Why? So he can give you advanced warning over your Force-Bond? I don't think so! A girl's got to have _some_ kind of fun, right?"  
Finn and Poe both chortled for a moment before returning to business, "Did you find anything, my Mate?"

Twila grunted, clearly put out, "No. He covered his tracks well. There were some poor souls that were alive when he arrived, but they weren't alive when he left. Ah, well; it was worth a try, anyway. Either way, I agree with Finn. Salvor will be silent for a while, I think, so we could go take a look, if you wanted to. Maybe someone is still alive that could know something. Could be we find whoever it was that sold your village out in the first place. Whoever that might be, they have many deaths to answer for – your wife and unborn child not least of all."

Poe smiled, "I sincerely doubt that anyone on that planet would have anything to do with me." Finn scoffed and rolled his eyes, earning a glare from Poe, "Why are you so damn determined to go there!?"

Finn raised an eyebrow, "Why are you so determined _not_ to go?" Poe's jaw dropped open, and he worked his mouth silently, looking exactly like a large mouthed bass, forcing Finn to shove down a smirk. "Look, Poe; if we can get there, maybe Twila and I can see something through the Force, or at least get some idea of _who_ was behind what happened. I mean, other than the First Order. I get the feeling it was done by someone hiding behind the robes of...Ahem...Master Ren."

Poe's mouth snapped shut and he raised an eyebrow, "Why not just call her by her name – Padme?" Finn sighed and placed his left hand over his face.

"Because he knew _I_ was standing here," came Ben's voice from the doorway. "What have you come up with?"  
Finn cleared his throat delicately, "Well, we've got a bunch of theories, and one interesting bit of information. Whoever it was that was sneaking around the battlefield on Kashyyk after the final battle ended, they were extremely careful not to leave any survivors. Twila looked through the Force, and she found that there _had_ been survivors, but our friendly, neighborhood sneak killed them so there would be none alive who knew of his presence. Other than that, we know that Salvor must have figured out that I was strong in the Force when he met me here on Naboo fifteen years ago. H obviously figured out mine and Poe's bond back then. I had assumed that the assassin Salvor had sent at Poe was because Salvor thought _Poe_ was the Resistance's Dignitary, but now I'm thinking it's more likely that he sent the assassin because of our Bond. He knew that if he had Poe killed, I would be essentially useless. He must have figured out my connection with Twila sometime during or shortly before Kashyyk. I figure he must have followed us from Naboo at a discreet enough distance that we never noticed him." Finn sighed and shook his head, "I knew there was something off about that man from the minute that I met him. I thought it was just that he was a traitor. I never would have thought he was anything more than a traitorous old man. It never occurred to me, or any of us, that he was capable of the types of things that he is doing now. I'm not sure why, but I keep coming back to what happened to Poe's family. I think if we go there, we might find something of use to us now." Finn braced himself for the outburst he knew was coming.

As Finn's words sunk in, Poe's face turned a mottled shade of puce and his eyes began to bulge alarmingly as he began to bellow a the top of his lungs, "Something _of use_!? What the hell is that supposed to mean!? And how much _use_ would it be to go back and go through Ben cutting your back open again? Maybe you'd like to go back to when you became a cripple? No? Then leave my wife and child out of this, you son of a bitch!" Without another word, Poe turned on his heel and stormed out of the medbay, fuming.

As Ben made to go after him, Finn spoke quietly into the ringing silence, "Let him go, Ben. He'll calm down better on his own. He doesn't want to see any of us right now. There's a reason why I never ask him about his family. He's usually so outwardly stoic that it seems like everything just rolls right off his back. I know the truth, however. Internally, he is still just as angry about some things, such as his family, as he was when they happened. He has a very great deal of rage in his heart, and it's worse because he doesn't talk about things. He never lets anything out, so it just festers. He'll be fine, Ben. Don't worry about him. Once he has time to calm down, he'll think it over and realize that we're right. We should track down every lead that feels even _remotely_ important."

Ben nodded, "I know. I just hate to see him this way. Either way; even if we find nothing, he will benefit from this. It may just loosen that knot of anger that's been in him for all these years. I've begun to sense it over the last three or four years, growing. I just didn't know what had caused it until now."

Outside the door, the Solo children turned silently from the door, stealing to the twins' room to have a private meeting of their own.

***Author's Note***

Awww, poor Poe! I though that we'd do a bit more exploring of Poe's past in this story, along with exploring Lilia and Matthew (I hope you like that match, by the way). I'm really enjoying writing this story, and thank you so much for sticking with it, though it's been well over a week (two?) since I posted. Love you all! ^_^


	15. Chapter 15

***Author's Note***

Good Morning, everyone! So, here's the next chapter for you. I know, I've been a bit inconsistent in my posting lately, but that's due to my crazy hectic personal life. We've got a bit more Solo mischief in this chapter; hope you like it!

***End Note***

The door slid quietly shut behind Leia, who had sneaked silently out of the medbay when her father had arrived, and hurried to sit in the circle of her siblings, each of them perfectly serious and somber. The moment her bum hit the floor, little Han was already crawling into her lap. Since they had been captured, he had been nearly inseparable from his older sister, but she didn't mind. The twins, Han, and Anakin had all been standing silently outside the medbay, listening. Once their father had revealed his presence to Finn and the others, the twins had gestured subtly to Leia, and she had hurried after them. "So," began Finn Solo, "We need to make our own plans. For Padme and myself, we intend to go with the others, no matter where that leads or what danger we find ourselves in. Han?" The youngest of the Solo children glanced up at his eldest brother, " _You_ need to be as far away from danger as possible. You'll go back to Takodana with the other Masters; you'll stay with Maz, if necessary. No, I won't hear another word about it!" Finn sounded so much like his father in that moment that poor Han was instantly cowed and nodded meekly, where only a moment ago, he'd been looking mutinous. "Now; the rest of you can make up your own minds. Normally, I'd say that Leia is just too young and needs to go with Han, but I think she's more than proven herself in these last few weeks. Wherever Mom and Dad go, Padme and I will go with them, even if we have to sneak on board the _Falcon_ again. We'll let you two think about it for a while."

Even as the twins stood, Anakin was already shaking his head, "I don't need any more time. I'm going. I'd like to see someone try and stop me!"  
The twins looked questioningly at Leia, who raised an eyebrow and asked, "Really? You don't already know my answer?"

Finn and Padme exchanged a quick grin before taking their spots beside their siblings again, "Excellent. How do we manage to get on the _Falcon_ if they don't want us there? And how do we keep anyone from raising the alarm?"

Anakin was the first to answer, "Well, actually, I've been working on something with Leia's help. I can project images of us that can move, talk, interact, and so on just like us. The thing is, though, that I have to be able to keep total focus while I'm doing it. I've been able to project anywhere, so long as I've seen where the false images are going to be. I've only ever been able to keep it up for a few hours, though; four at the most."

Padme grinned wickedly and quietly said, "Four is all we'd need. If we managed to start your illusions just as we're getting on the _Falcon_ , then we'd be four hours out before they ever find out something's wrong! That's way too far out for them to turn around and take us back. They'd have to refuel and everything, and I sincerely doubt Mom and Dad would want to do that. Besides; we're practically Masters, ourselves now – every one of us, except Han."

Finn nodded along with his twin's words, "Exactly what I was thinking. The only thing we have to figure out now is how to get on the _Falcon_ itself without being seen."

Leia cleared her throat delicately, "Actually...I think I may have a way. I've been working on something, myself, but with _Anakin's_ help. There's a reason why we vanish so often, and it's not because we're just goofing off like you two!" The quip earned some hearty chuckles around the circle of Solos and she waited to continue until they had grown serious again, "I can sort of... _bend_ light around objects or, in this case, people."

Padme tilted her head at her little sister, "Okay, so...What does it do?"

Leia's eyebrows lifted, "Oh, sorry; I forgot you two don't have our scientific inclinations! See, when light refracts around something, it makes it 'invisible'. In other words if the something moved too much, the effect would fade slightly. It doesn't have to be natural light, either; I can do it with _any_ light source. It causes a sort of cloaking effect; if you look really carefully, you can see a slight rippling effect. Usually, it gets put off to a trick of the eye, but if you know your stuff or if you're really observant, it's a dead giveaway. Now, I should warn you, this only works on _sighted_ people, so we wouldn't be able to fool Uncle Luke. Just so you know."

By now, Finn and Padme's jaws had come unhinged, and they were staring at their younger counterparts with unveiled astonishment. Normally, they took turns speaking, but they were so stunned that they spoke in tandem, "Well, you two are just full of surprises, aren't you!?" Both twins jumped slightly at the sound of the others' voice, glanced at each other, and instantly began giggling.

Leia rolled her eyes at them, "Oh, please; you two are ridiculous. What is so funny?"

Finn waved his hand at her, quite unable to speak, while his other arm wrapped around his now-aching rib cage, leaving Padme to giggle out a response, "I'm not...sure what's so...funny, but...I can't...stop... _laughing_!" The pair collapsed in a heap, still laughing while Han joined in on the laughter with his rolling baby-laugh. Leia and Anakin – who had always been far more dignified than the twins – glanced at each other with superior looks on their faces until the corner of Anakin's mouth twitched, ever so slightly, causing Leia's mouth to twitch in response. Before long, all five of them were in hysterics, laughing until tears ran down their faces. At last, the twins regained their composure, seeming to remember why it was that they had called the meeting to begin with. The others followed suit, and in a few moments, there was, once again, not a single smile to be seen around the circle.

Finn was the next to speak, "First, I think we should give Mom and Dad the opportunity to give us permission to come with them, before we try anything sneaky." There were nods among the older siblings (Han had begun to nod off) as Finn continued, "But, if they say no, then we can put our plan into action. I say we put on a show of going with the other Masters, then Leia can do her light bending trick while Anakin does his projecting... _thing_. Padme and I will try to make it look like our thoughts are coming from the false versions of us. 'Me, do you think you can do that?"

Padme thought for a moment, "It'll be tricky, but yeah. I think I can manage that; it'll be tricky, though. You and I will have to stay mentally linked with Anakin to make it work. I think that if we channel all of our thoughts, including Leia's, through Anakin, they will be able to be 'projected' through the faux us. We should try it out, though. Annie, do you think you could try it?"

Anakin smirked at his older sister and nodded cockily, "Sure. Just don't think anything the rest of us don't want to hear."

Padme rolled her eyes and linked up with Anakin, concentrating hard on _pushing_ her thoughts through her brother's illusion, and doubting the plan the whole time. Suddenly, she felt something in Anakin's brain shift, and she felt as though she was being sucked forward, out of herself. For a moment, she felt as though she were in an odd sort of half-world. She could feel her body behind her, but her _mind_ suddenly felt as though it had been stretched, somehow. After another moment, she began to sense...something. It was like a shadow, almost, but it was definitely there. The something grew stronger and stronger until she began to sense another _person_ in the room. Alarmed, she cast a small part of her mind around, looking for the intruder, and found something...rather odd. In the room with them, there was definitely something new, but she wouldn't exactly call it a person. It was, on the surface, a functioning, thinking creature, but if she delved deeper, it was... _hollow –_ more like a reflection than anything else. All at once, she was thrown for a loop as her own thoughts began to circle back to her from the hollow reflection's mind, and suddenly she understood. Padme drew herself up out of the Force, being sure to keep her mental connection with Anakin; if they couldn't keep it up when they weren't in trance, then their plans would fall to ruin. As Padme opened her eyes and stood, she found herself staring at a perfect replica of herself, hearing her own thoughts, and seeing herself the way others saw her for the first time; it was a most unsettling experience. As she walked around her "reflection", Padme found herself impressed, "Wow. So, you two have been working your fingers to the bone so you can pull something like this off, and all Finn and I have managed to do is nearly get ourselves thrown out of the Academy!? I think, my twin, that we _seriously_ need to re-evaluate our priorities." She glanced at her twin, who had raised an eyebrow in agreement, "Okay, Leia; let's see your trick."

Leia smiled quietly and nodded; her eyes closed as she concentrated, and suddenly, Finn was _gone_! Padme jumped in alarm, staring at the spot where her twin had been only a moment before. Just as she opened her mouth to ask what had happened, she heard Finn's disembodied yet delighted laugh, "Wow! I'm invisible! I gotta hand it to you, little sis; this is pretty darn cool!" Leia smiled, but kept her concentration as she opened her eyes, "What we need to know, though, is if you can keep this up while we're all walking."

Leia frowned as Finn winked back into view, "That is an excellent question. Normally it becomes harder when the person I'm trying to cloak starts to move, but if I were moving, too, it just might make it easier. Here; get up, we'll try it." Finn obliged, and for the next ten minutes or so, the pair walked at a normal pace around the room, Leia with a crease on her young brow. Just as Finn was about to call a halt to the exercise and call it a failure, Leia exclaimed, "Ah-ha! Gotcha!" Just as suddenly as before, Finn vanished once again, but this time, Leia with him. The pair began giggling madly with elation as they winked back into view again, "That's brilliant! I've never been able to cloak a moving target before! Annie and I have been trying, but it's never worked before! I think I should try it on all four of us, just to be sure I can keep it up for a while." The other two stood and came over, and the four began a new circuit of the room. It didn't take quite as long as before; within about five minutes, all four of them winked out of view. They continued their walking as Leia concentrated ever harder on keeping them cloaked. After fifteen minutes, they winked back into view, Leia with a small, grim smile on her face, "If I'd been able to do this before, maybe I could have gotten the others out of that bunker before anyone got hurt. Then again, maybe I wasn't _meant_ to."

Finn smiled kindly at his little sister and laid a gentle hand on her fragile-seeming shoulder, "Maybe, maybe not; either way, you've done an incredible thing here! Mom and Dad would _love_ to be able to do what you can do, but they can't. As far as I know, you and Anakin are the only two at _either_ Academy that can do anything even _similar_ to this! It's sheer genius, is what it is. Just think of the applications of what the two of you can do: for one, this can be used for spies during wartime. Can you imagine? How can you find the spy in your organization when he's _cloaked_?! Don't sell yourself short, kid; you're incredible. Besides, you're the one who got them out; who are they to complain about _how_?"

Leia smiled weakly at him, "Thanks, Finn. I never really looked at it that way, I suppose. I'd better be getting back to the medbay, though. You lot, finish fine-tuning the plan and fill me in once you're done." She glanced back at Han, who had curled up on the floor and was currently snoozing peacefully away, "Besides; I'd better get _him_ tucked into bed. He looks exhausted, poor thing." With that, Leia gathered little Han up and carried him out of the room; she didn't know how her mother managed it – the kid was deceptively heavy! After quite a bit of struggle, she worked her way to her parents' room and waved the doors open.

Her parents looked up in surprise, and Rey hurried over to take her youngest son into her own arms, "Leia, what happened? Is he alright?"  
Leia smiled at her mother, "Yes, he's fine. I was just spending some quiet time with Finn, Padme, and Anakin; we haven't had much peace around here, and I guess I needed a break. He just fell asleep on the floor while we were talking. I'd better get back to the medbay, though. Love you both!"

As Leia hurried out of the room, Ben and Rey stared after her, bemused, "Was it just me," Ben said slowly, "Or was she lying to us?"

Rey nodded, "No, she was definitely lying, but about _what_? And why?"

Ben shook his head, "I don't know, but I'm sure we'll find out eventually."

The next morning, the Solo children sat with their parents over breakfast, each one waiting anxiously to bring up the subject of accompanying their parents. Before they could, however, Ben spoke, "The remaining Masters will be returning to Takodana later this morning, and every single one of you will go with them, am I understood?"

Finn and Padme looked mutinous. Both lunged to their feet; Padme stood, fuming, with her arms crossed over her chest while Finn shouted at his father, "Absolutely not! We are _not_ staying behind to train babies and have tea and whatever else! We – all of us – are coming with you! We've proven ourselves in a fight, every single one of us! Padme and I are near enough to being Master that..."

Ben had heard enough. He stood so quickly that his chair toppled over and drew himself to his full height, fire blazing in his golden eyes as he roared back at his oldest son, "Yes, but you're _not_! You're not Masters! You should be, but you two insist on acting like spoiled brats, rather than _doing what you're told_! For once in your damned lives, do not argue with me! You will go to Takodana or you will get out of my sight! If you somehow follow us and get yourselves killed, it'll be no less than you deserve!"

Rey let out a gasp and a stunned, half-choked, "Ben!" Both twins went as still and pale as stone with eyes just as hard. Instantly, Ben was ashamed of his outburst.

"Finn...I didn't mean that." Ben whispered, the room still ringing with his fury. Neither of the twins said a word; they just turned on their heels and walked out of their parents' quarters without a backwards glance. Ben looked at Anakin and Leia, who were also glaring at him, "What? Are you two angry with me as well, then?" His two middle children stood and followed the twins silently, "I'll take that as a yes." Ben sighed at the now-silent room and looked down at his stricken wife, "I'm sorry, my Light. I don't know what got into me."

Rey looked at him with a look that clearly said that he had missed something obvious, and _she_ knew what it was, "I do," she said, just a little bit of superiority creeping into her voice, "Fear. Fear got into you. It's alright, it's a natural thing for a parent to feel." Rey stood and wrapped her arms around him from behind.

Ben snorted, "I didn't feel this way before."

Rey smiled into his cloak, "Yes, but we didn't know how bad it was before. Now we know _who_ is after our friends, and exactly what it is that he can do. The very thought of our children being so close to someone who reminds you so much of Padme at her worst terrifies you, as it should. Don't worry about the children. They'll forgive you. The question is: will you forgive yourself?"

Ben sighed again and turned into her embrace, "What would I do without you?"

Rey grinned impishly, "Oh, you'd probably wither and die."

Ben chuckled, "Alright, go easy on me, woman. I'll make it up to them later, I promise." Ben turned to begin the preparations to leave and paused, "You...You don't suppose they'll try to follow us, do you?"

Rey smiled, "I think whatever happens is what is meant to happen. You worry too much, my Love. They can take care of themselves; they've more than proven that, especially our little Leia. They're growing up, Ben. It breaks my heart, but they're not children anymore. The only baby we've got left is Han, and even _he_ is going to start growing up before too much longer. At some point, you have to let them choose their own path."

Ben stared at Rey as though he'd never seen her before, "When did you get so wise?"  
Rey smirked, "Oh, I've always been wise. You've just never noticed before."

A few short hours later, Ben and Rey made their way towards the _Falcon_ , wishing they could see their children one last time before they left. As though their wish were being answered, they saw all five of their children, surrounded by other Masters, being ushered towards one of the Academy's large transport ships – these were usually used for the recruitment trips they took once every six months. They never knew how many new students they'd return with, so they had acquired a few massive transports; it seemed that the purchases had been more useful than they had expected. Rey called out to Finn, who turned his head, but did not respond, "Looks like you're not the only one they're angry with," she muttered to Ben. "Ah, well. They'll get over it, I expect." Ben nodded and put an arm around her shoulders, and together, they headed for the _Falcon_ , where Huur and his guards were waiting.

"Hello, little friends," he said genially, "I fear that now is the time for me to return to Tagoria. Reinforcements I can send, if they will be required, but for now, I must return and inform the Council what has happened."

Finn smirked widely and chuckled, "Well, have fun with that. _I_ , for one, don't miss my time with those stuffy old cats, and you can tell them I said as much."

Huur thrummed his amusement, "I will do so, little friend. My daughter, Hrii, will go with you. I wish her to see true battle; with you, that will happen, one way or the other."

Ben smiled up at the massive, elegant creature, "Of course, Huur. We'll take good care of her while she's in our care. I happen to know of a rather marvelous training program that will whip her into shape." Ben's eyes sparkled with mischief, and Rey coughed delicately into her sleeve, hastily covering a laugh. They both knew full well that Finn's training program was less "training" and more "fight until you drop, then do it again," but far be it from them to ruin the fun.

Huur inclined his massive, shaggy head and leaned over to give his daughter a squeeze, "Be safe, my child, but fight well."

Hrii drew herself up to her full height, her chest puffing out proudly, "I will, Papa." Hrii whimpered only slightly as her beloved father walked away from her, but she sniffed and quickly walked up the loading ramp and into the _Falcon_ itself.

Rey looked after her, understanding in her eyes, "I know how she feels, poor thing. In my case, it was just a bit more extreme, of course, but still." Just then, Finn, Twila, and Thamian could be seen through the crowd, but only because Thamian's massive girth and fearsome reputation had the crowd parting before him. As the trio reached them, Rey raised an eyebrow at Twila, "Where are the boys?"

Twila shook her head with a grimace, "I sent them to go back to Takodana with everyone else; they were...less than pleased. But then, I know full well what Salvor is capable of, just like the rest of you. I notice that I don't see your brood anywhere; same situation?"

Rey smiled and wrapped an arm around the tiny Twi'lek's waist, "Great minds think alike, my dear."

Rey's head snapped suddenly to the left, catching Ben's attention, "What is it?"

"Nothing, I suppose. Just a trick of the light." Without another word, Rey hurried to follow the others up the ramp. Within just a few minutes, the _Falcon_ was ready to go. As was his way, Luke showed up with moments to spare, managing to clear the ramp _just_ as it started to shut; Poe Lilia, and Matthew, however, had been onboard hours before anyone else, seeing to the final touches alongside Chewie.

As could was predictable, he was in a bit of a snippy mood, "So. If everyone's done shooting the breeze and dragging their heels, I think we're just about ready to get this freak show in the air, don't you?" he jerked his thumb at the others, and they took their seats quickly; none of them had ever seen Poe quite so cranky, and none was willing to be the first to test this new side of him. Finn was of the opinion, however, that this may well have been what Poe was like when the Chancellor had first recruited him to the Resistance. If that were, indeed, the case, then Finn had a very great deal to be grateful to the Chancellor for. A _very_ great deal. At last, the _Falcon_ lifted smoothly off the ground, and off they went, each absorbed in their own memories, and each one feeling an odd sense of deja vu.

The Children

The younger Solo children had to sprint, just to catch up to their elder siblings, and then they had to jog, just to _keep_ up. "I can't believe father would say something like that," Finn was grumbling angrily, "After what happened to Aunt Padme, how can he possibly be so flippant about death!? I guess he just thinks we're nothing but a bunch of snot-nosed kids! Well, we'll show him. We're going along whether they like it or now. Leia! Anakin! We need to get ready. We don't want to waste a single second. We'll go along with it at first, just like we planned. Got it?"

Leia nodded, "Absolutely. I know he's our father, and I know he's just scared and worried (not that he'd ever tell _us_ that) but still; he had absolutely no right to talk to you like that. I'll probably get my hide tanned just for saying that, but I think he overstepped. Are you okay, Finn?"

Finn snorted angrily, "Of course I'm alright. Either way, I've got this sick feeling in my gut like they're really going to need us before this thing is over. Every time someone starts talking about Poe's family, my gut twists again, and I know we _have_ to go with them. I think, in some way, we all need to know exactly what we're dealing with, here. I mean, ordering the torture of children is one thing, but it's not like he did any of that himself. He's probably too much of a wuss to do anything like that personally, but still. I can't help but think that maybe, just maybe, what happened to the Damerons has something to do with what's going on now. Whatever it is, we are going to _be_ there, whether Father likes it or not! We are old enough, and I don't care what anybody says! Come on!" The four hurried off to the chambers that had been assigned to them. Finn and Padme shared a room, as was their norm, while Leia and Anakin shared a room, which was not unusual for them, either.

They spent the few hours before their assigned departure readying their packs for the journey they had planned – with or without their parents' permission. No one spoke; they had discussed every possible angle of their plan as well as everything that could possibly go wrong so that there was nothing left to discuss. All that was left was to act. At last, there came a beep at each of their doors, and together, they left with the Masters appointed to be their "chaperons", appearing docile, though they knew the Masters were, in fact, their jailers. Just as Leia was about to enact their plan, they saw T'arla and Jar'lek heading towards them in a similar situation. On the spur of the moment, Finn reached out to Leia with his thoughts, _Include them in our plan, if you can._ To T'arla and Jar'lek, he sent, _We have a plan; listen up._ He quickly summed everything up and felt first surprise, then consent. They waited until they were out in the open, where there were as many witnesses as possible before enacting their plan. First, Anakin created their doubles so that they were standing in the same space simultaneously. Then, it was time for the hard part. Little by little, their group began to separate from their doubles while Leia cloaked them until, at last, they were completely freed from their enforced entourage; Anakin had immediately looped their thoughts in with the illusion so that, as long as no one looked too closely, no one would be any the wiser – or so they thought. As they turned towards the _Falcon_ , they found Luke standing just behind them.

So quietly that he might have been speaking to himself, he said, "Well, that was very clever of you lot, not that I'd expect anything less. You're going to want to hurry; Poe is rather anxious to be off. It just so happens that I agree with this course of action. Your father has always been a bit...hasty." Without another word, he turned and swept off towards his own business to see to some matters of his own before departure. Breathing a sigh of relief, they made their way to the _Falcon_ and hid themselves and their packs in the very farthest corner of the cargo bay.

***Author's Note***

Hehe. Good old Luke; never fooled, that one, is he? So, the hiding of the children is actually going to be a pretty important thing in later chapters. ^_^ I hope you liked the chapter; thanks for reading, everyone!


	16. Chapter 16

***Author's Note***

Good afternoon, my dears! Sorry for the lateness again; still crazy busy over here. Well, this chapter is going to give a bit more background on Poe and where he came from. Up until now, he's been a bit of a mystery, so there's some light being shed on the topic of Poe; hope you like it! Also, you're going to get to see the kids coming into their own, and figuring out exactly what their power and position means to them. Enjoy!

***End Note***

The Children

The children had still gone undiscovered by the time they reached their destination three days later – the famed planet of Adumar. Adumar was well-known for its inhabitants' obsession blastsword-duels and starship piloting. It also happened to be Poe's homeworld. Now that they thought about it, the children were kicking themselves for not figuring it out sooner; he was exceptional with a variety of weapons, both bolt weapons and bladed ones. It only made sense that Poe would have been raised in such an environment – it was just that he so seldom spoke about his past that very few people actually knew where he came from. After his family had been killed, Poe had left Adumar and never returned; at least, not until now. Either way, the children were unbearably curious about the planet. They had never set foot on Adumar, they had only ever read about the missile factories and they were eager to see what it looked like in person, not in holos or datapads.

Mostly, the children thought themselves hugely lucky that they had not been discovered. Finn and Padme, however, were of the opinion that the only reason they had not been discovered was that _Luke_ was helping to conceal them. Finn and Padme had thought the old Jedi was going to turn them over to their parents when he had sensed their presence, but he hadn't. The only conclusion the two could come to was that Luke felt, like they did, that them being here was not only necessary, but _essential_. Finn had disobeyed his father before, of course, but he'd never, in all his life, done anything anywhere near to this. In some small corner of his mind, Finn knew that if they were caught, he and Padme would be out of the Academy and the Order, with no further chances. Even if they were able to help, Finn and Padme were nearly certain that their careers in the Neutral Order were all but over, but they had still decided to come. If Finn's...feeling...vision...whatever it was...was correct, and he _hadn't_ gone, Finn would have never forgiven himself. If it was wrong, though, he and Padme would accept _all_ of the responsibility for this little adventure of theirs and accept their punishment with silence.

They had arrived on Adumar about half a day ago, and had waited patiently for the Masters, Thamian, and Hrii to disembark before they followed. They were careful to stay at least an hour behind them so that they would not be seen, and Leia could rest somewhat. The poor child had exhausted herself keeping them hidden for three days. Now, they were each carefully shielding their own thoughts and Force-Signatures. They knew that if even _one_ of them slipped, the Masters would find them in the space of a heartbeat. They were taking advantage, however, of the fact that the "advance party" did not feel the need to go in full stealth mode. Now that they didn't need to keep themselves cloaked, they were able to keep up with the pace that the others were setting; even though they couldn't see them, Finn and the others knew without a doubt that they were on the right track. Even from so far away, they could sense them, but one in particular stood out: Poe. The further they went on, the further into turmoil poor Poe fell. Finn could feel the older man's emotions raging inside of him, and he could only imagine what the man was going through. He had always known what his favorite "uncle" had gone through with losing his family, but only now, sensing Poe's pain, did he understand that Poe had never truly healed. All he had managed to do in the decades between now and that terrible day was to shove the memories as far to the back of his mind as he could manage and bury it as deeply as possible. Now, though, it was like they were bubbling to the surface like black, sticky crude oil in the middle of a golden plain.

They found the first sign that something wasn't quite right when they entered a smallish village to acquire something hot to eat. They entered the local cantina – the younger children projected a slight "suggestion field" so that they seemed to be the same age as the twins, or at least around there. They ordered t heir meals and water, gaining a few odd glances from the other patrons; every last one of whom was male and had a blastsword strapped to their backs, leadning against the wall beside them, or laying on the floor within easy reach. Finn shifted his gray robe, ever so slightly, exposing his light-saber, and those staring turned hastily around. _Does anyone else feel like we just walked into a pit of vipers?_ Finn thought to the others. From the corner of his eye, Finn saw them all nod slightly with a hard gleam in their eyes. Warily, they took their seats and sat silently together, each watching another part of the room until their food and water was placed in front of them. They ate quickly, leaving more than necessary on the table for the serving girls and stood to leave. Just as they turned for the door, every man in the room shoved to their feet, taking up their blastswords. "Well, so much for a nice, quiet dinner," Finn muttered to the others, causing a few grim smiles to break out. Fin and Padme's faces split into an identical, bloodthirsty grin that had the men closest to them backing up and bumping into those behind them. "Alright, everyone; don't kill anyone, if you can help it. Something's off here. I'm not sure, but I don't think these men are in their right minds. And don't use the Force, if you can help it! We don't want to hurt anyone. Just let us be on our way, and we won't mention this to the authorities." Finn's attempt at negotiation was met with derisive sneers and some threatening chuckles. "Alright, fine. But I _did_ warn you, mind. Don't blame us when this goes badly for you. Drop the suggestion field; you'll need everything you've got."

As the true identities of their prey was revealed, the chuckles fell away into stunned silence, until one man exclaimed mirthfully, "They're just children!" Raucous laughter burst throughout the room, and it only got louder when Leia scowled at them. "Why don't you put that thing down and go play with your dolls, little girl! You might cut something off!"

"Yeah, like your head, so nobody has to look at your ugly face anymore," Jar'lek taunted back through clenched teeth, his lek'ku twitching. Up until that moment, none of the men had noticed the Doroturo boys.

Jar'lek's taunt, however, shined a spotlight on the two half-Twi'lek boys. The result was instantaneous, and violent, "Look at this, boys! We've got ourselves a couple of nasty little half-breeds! Well, now; it looks like the Jedi Order's standards have really slipped under the reign of Luke Skywalker! What do you say we put these abominations down, boys!?" A deafening roar met the man's words, and the room was suddenly full of blaster-bolts, making the cantina glow like the morning sun.

The picture of calm, as always, Leia stepped forward and held out one hand; every bolt froze in midair for just a second before they were flung harmlessly into the floor, walls, and ceiling. Their assailants began muttering nervously among themselves. No one moved for a long moment, and silence fell in the crowded room. "Our turn," Anakin murmured into the thick silence. As one, Finn, Padme, Anakin, Leia, T'arla, and Jar'lek sprung forward, predicting their enemies' moves as they had been taught since they were old enough to sense the minds of those around them. They moved with terrifying accuracy and speed that those present would never forget for the rest of their days. Their light-sabers flashed and buzzed in the smoky, murky light of the cantina as they blocked, disarmed, and rendered men unconscious. After a half-hour of the most intense bar fight in Adumar history, the children stood among the unconscious and kneeling forms of their opponents.

Finn raised an eyebrow at the man kneeling closest to him, "Who put you up to this?" The man glanced up at him, startled, "I sensed it the moment I walked in here; you lot weren't in your right minds when you attacked us; that's why I gave orders for no one to be harmed. Now, if you were just a bunch of fools who thought to make names for yourselves by attacking a group of fully-armed Jedi, we would have shown you far less consideration. If you had been acting of your own volition, we would not have held back. The little one over there?" He nodded at Leia, who was leaning nonchalantly against the bar, "She and the other two little ones with me were captured by the Knights of Ren and their Master, along with the rest of the younglings from the Academies. She broke them out. By herself. She killed who-knows-how-many Knights in the process." The man paled and glanced at Leia, a new respect in his eyes. Finn had to bite the inside of his lip when Leia nodded calmly at him, as though they were discussing nothing any more interesting than the weather.

The man dipped his head low in a respectful bow, "Forgive us, Honorable Master. Our behavior has been unforgivable. There was a man who came here, just before you did. He called himself The Darkness, nothing else; just that. He wore a mask, so we couldn't see his face. It was as though our wills were torn from us the moment he entered the room. He ordered us to kill any Jedi – Neutral or otherwise – that came here. Do with us as you will, Master Jedi."

Finn knelt down in front of the man and gently grasped his chin. Gently, he pulled the man's face up until he was looking Finn in the eye, "Have no fear; stronger men than you have fallen to these powers. One of the strongest, bravest men I have ever met – besides my own father – was taken over by such powers. His name is Master No-Nerves; perhaps you've heard of him?" Wonder came into the man's eyes, "There is nothing to forgive, my friend. Now, stand and go home to..." Finn brushed the surface of the man's thought's, "Raina and Shane. They will be wondering where their father is."

Tears sprung into the man's eyes, "Thank you, Master. You are truly wise!" He stood and stumbled out of the cantina, and for the rest of his life, he would spread tales of the wisdom and kindness of the Jedi and Neutral Orders.

Finn turned to the rest of the men in the cantina – most of whom had regained consciousness, "Now, the rest of you...Go home. Make sure those still on the floor get home safely, as well. We'll be sure to take care of this man calling himself The Darkness so that your families and friends will be safe."

One man had been watching and listening closely since the influence over their minds had lifted, "Master, if I may, and with no insult intended, what can the lot of you do against someone with such great power? You're only children!"

It was Leia who answered his question, "I know I may be small and exceptionally young, but I am a Padawan. That, to those who understand its true meaning, tells us that I am not an ordinary child. Of course, with _our_ parents, we were never going to be ordinary. We may be half-trained, save Finn and Padme, but we have power, and we know how to use it responsibly. We are young, but we have already escaped situations that would take the _heart_ from most of you. We may be inexperienced, but we are inventive. Because we are young, half-trained, and inexperienced, this new threat will _always_ underestimate us. It is in this way that we will defeat him."

The man who had spoken stared at Leia with open astonishment at first, then with consideration, "You are a deceptive one, child. There's a clever mind behind those pretty eyes of yours. I hope my daughter is like you, some day. You may have a point, there. There is one last thing, though." Leia cocked her head at him questioningly, "Who are your parents?"  
Leia smiled and allowed Finn to answer, "Our parents are Masters Ben and Rey Solo. T'arla and Jar'lek's parents are Master Twila Doroturo and Master Finn 'No Nerves'." The room went still and silent as those facts sunk in.

The man's eyes went wide and his face paled, "Well, then I would dare say that we were far more fortunate than we realized. I served with your parents in the war with the First Order. I was there on Kashyyk, and I saw everything that happened with my own eyes. Your parents are some of the bravest, kindest, and most powerful people I have ever met. I wonder now how I didn't see it before; you take after them, the lot of you. As for you two, I should never have called you half-breeds. I saw her fight the man who injured her lek'ku so badly. Your father's first concern was to be sure she was safe; I've never seen anyone speak to a Togorian like that and have the Togorian actually _listen_. I suppose that mountain of a man, Thamian Rar is still around?" T'arla and Jar'lek glanced at each other and snickered before nodding a confirmation at the man. "Huh. Well, I suppose I'm not surprised. Speaking for myself, I'd rather have him be beside me in a fight than across from me. I'd rather not cross blades with him, and they can call me a coward if they like. Any man that can fight a Force-User without using the Force himself, and live to tell the tale is a man I'd rather not anger. Thank you, children; this has been most enlightening." Without another word, the man turned and walked out of the cantina with a thoughtful look on his face.

Finn let out a heavy sigh and turned to the others, "If Salvor was here, then he knew the others would come. They're walking right into a trap! We have to catch up to them, and quickly!" Finn turned to the ancient, steel-haired cantina owner and asked, "Do you know anything about Poe Dameron and his family? I need to know where the village is where...everything happened."

The man set his jaw in a grim line, "If I tell you, will you leave?" Finn nodded, "Very well. They lived in a small village called Braya. It was a lovely little community, thirty years ago – now, it's a ghost town. No one lives there now; they can't bring themselves to set foot in that cursed place. Everything was left the way it was when Poe returned to find what the First Order had done. He was such a fine young man, before it happened; he was the finest pilot Adumar had ever seen, including among the nobles. He was never one for farming, so he got work in one of the factories; he would hop on his speeder and be gone for days, sometimes. He was a wild one; there was always someone challenging him to a blastsword duel or a race or some wild thing. He never lost. Not _ever_. He gained a reputation, and quickly, for having a quick temper and a quick blade. But what _really_ gained attention was the time he managed to steal an x-wing prototype for a joyride. Everyone thought he'd gotten in over his head, but he managed to prove them wrong once again. His adventure captured the particular attentions of a lovely redheaded lass. She thought him brave, but foolish and that's not even mentioning her opinion of his ego. Before long, every freighter captain on Adumar wanted to hire him as their pilot, but by then, Poe had begun to fall in love with the lovely redhead; her name was Valerie. She managed to do for him the one thing no one and nothing had managed to do: she calmed him. With a single look, she was able to quell that temper of his. She got him out of a great deal of trouble, but there were few occasions where trouble was simply inevitable. On those rare occasions, she proved herself just as able a fighter as he is. She _always_ stood by her man. Always. She loved him form the moment she met him, but she made him wait until _he_ was worthy of _her_." The old man chuckled, "I remember one occasion where he asked her for a kiss after a particularly spectacular race, and she only laughed at him. The one thing she _did_ say was that she would kiss him when he learned there was more to life than winning duels and races. She left him with his mouth hanging open like a broken hinge!" He chuckled again, "I'll never forget the look on his face when he came home to find his beloved wife slaughtered. He looked like a hollow man; he was someone with nothing left to lose. After that, he joined up with the Resistance, and he never returned." The man watched Finn carefully with steel in his cloudy brown eyes, "Are you telling me that Poe Dameron has returned to Adumar?" Finn nodded, "Well. You'll want to head north-west for about fourty miles. You'll find Braya there. Don't know what he'd expect to find other than some falling down old buildings, but if he's back, that's the first place he'll go."

Finn and the others turned to leave, but Padme stayed behind, looking at the old an curiously. The others paused to see why she wasn't with them as she asked in her quiet way, "How do you know so much about Poe? Did you know him well?"

The man raised his eyebrows, "Huh. The silent one speaks. Your twin does all the talking and you do all the observing, eh? Well, you'd be right, young lady. I _did_ know Poe, and I knew him very well, indeed. He is my son."

Padme made no sign of surprise, but only nodded, "I thought as much. Would you like us to give him a message for you?"

Poe's father smiled, and in that moment, they could see where Poe had gotten his good looks, "Tell him only one thing: the girl is alive. Tell him only that. When he asks for the particulars, bring him to me." Padme nodded and he spoke again, "Now, I have a question for you: Are you named after your father's twin sister?" Padme nodded, "Now, that _is_ interesting. Now; you promised you'd get out of my cantina. Go; no more questions today. I'll answer any more questions when you bring my son to me."

The children turned and left the cantina, lost in their own thoughts. They turned to the north-west and began on their way. They had not been traveling for long when Finn and Padmes's heads snapped up in the direction of Braya, "We were right," Finn said shakily, "They were walking right into a trap! We've got to get there, and quickly." The small group began to sprint in the direction of Braya, pouring the Force into their limbs to increase their speed. Before long, they streaked over the plains and fields towards Braya, leaving a cloud of dust in their wake. They only hoped that they would reach the abandoned village in time.

***Author's Note***

Whooo! What a ride this story is so far! How'd you like that little bomb drop? Hehe. He'll be back in the story a little later, no worries! We're about halfway through this story; I'm thinking between 32 and 35 chapters on this one. When this story is finished, I'm going to start work on my first original novel, so I won't be posting quite as often; mostly on weekends. The next fanfic I'm going to write is going to be a fun little crossover I came up with. I'll be breaking from the Star Wars theme for a while. The next story will be a Thor/Sherlock crossover; I think you'll enjoy it. It's going to be a lot of fun! Well, I hope you've enjoyed this chapter, y'all! Lots of love!


	17. Chapter 17

***Author's Note***

Hello, hello! No worries; I'm still here. I'm still plugging away at this story, though I've had considerably less time to myself of late. Thanks to all of you who have kept with it; I appreciate all of you. So, this chapter is a bit of a warm-up for the next one. Next chapter, you'll really see some deep searching into Poe's past; this chapter has a bit of levity in it. I realized there's been very little of that, so I added a bit of fun. Enjoy!

***End Note***

The Masters

The three days it took to travel from Naboo to Adumar were oddly silent. Poe, it seemed, had a great deal on his mind and was more content (for once) to be quiet. The others had decided to just leave him alone in the cockpit and had gathered together in the galley, or at least as close to "in" the galley as they could manage; it was far too small for all of them to fit. Rey and Twila were working in the small kitchen, preparing a massive breakfast as they all talked everything over.

"What do you think we'll find on Adumar?" Asked Lilia, "I'm almost afraid, somehow. Father's always been so strong – I guess I'm just afraid to see him weak.

Ben nodded, "Sure, that makes sense. It's only natural, Lilia. As for what we'll find...I just don't know. I still wish I knew why we're all getting the feeling that this is so important."

Finn was sitting with his arms crossed over his chest, Twila's head on his shoulder, "Yeah, I think we'd all like to know that, myself. I guess we'll find out soon enough, though won't we?"

Ben raised an eyebrow and nodded as Luke spoke, "One way or another, there is a revelation awaiting Poe that he _must_ find. I think that whatever it is he is supposed to learn on Adumar will tie some loose ends together for him."

Finn nodded, "The death of Poe's family has haunted him for the last twenty years. As much as he's digging his heels in, he needs to make peace with this, no matter what he says. As far as I know, after it happened, he left and never returned. I wonder how he'll react to seeing his old home?" Finn shook his head and sighed, "Either way, I can't even begin to imagine what Poe is going through right now."

Thamian shrugged, "Ach, sure and he'll be fine. I know it doesn't seem like it just now, but he will be."

Ben levitated a spoon above the table in front of him, thinking as it slowly rotated, "I think, perhaps, that Poe is going to find the truth behind what happened to his family, and _why_ , and he is _not_ going to like it. Whatever he finds, though, we'll be there for him."

Finn nodded, "Agreed, though I think we should table this discussion for now; he's coning."

Moments later, Poe entered the galley, just as Rey and Twila were bringing the food to the table, "Excellent timing, my friend," Twila greeted him, "I hope you're hungry!" At Poe's dejected half-glare, Twila softened, "Please eat something, Poe. You need to keep your strength up. Please?"

Poe grunted and pushed past her, slumping into the seat beside Lilia, "Father? Are you alright? You haven't said much since we left Naboo."

Poe glanced at his adopted daughter and sighed, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, "Yes, dear. I'm fine. I'm just...distracted, I suppose. I've been thinking about things that I have done my level best not to think about for many years. It's odd; it was twenty years ago now, but I can still see her face as clearly as if she were standing before me now. Then it shifts and I see what they did to her." He glanced up at his Bond-Brother, naked fear and apprehension in his eyes, "What if nothing's changed, Finn? What if everything is exactly the way I left it?"

Finn sighed, "Well, then this time, Brother, you won't be alone." Finn reached across the small table and grasped Poe's forearm, "Your new family will be with you this time, and _no one_ will take us anywhere we aren't ready to go."

Poe's lips curved in the slightest of smiles, relief in his eyes, "Thanks, Finn. I guess I've been a bit of an ass, haven't I?"

Finn grinned full-out, "Well, not to put too fine a point on it...but yeah. Yeah, you've been a colossal ass."

Thamian boomed out a laugh that was as massive as he was, "Now, _that_ sounds more like the two young troublemakers I met fifteen years ago! Things have been a bit stressed since the younglings were taken; you two haven't been yourselves – not that I can blame you, of course. Things just seem a bit less...insurmountable with you two quipping at each other again."

Poe smiled crookedly at the enormous man, "Yeah, I suppose it does feel a bit more...natural, doesn't it? I'm sorry I've worried you all so much. It's a lot to work through, I guess."

Finn shrugged, "Oh, yeah; nobody here knows anything about having a lot to work through..."

Ben chuckled, "Yeah, I mean I guess everyone's got a twin sister that turns psychotic Sith murderess, right?" The remark was so unexpected that there were shocked gasps and no few snorts around the small table. Ben sat straighter, a look of sheer innocence on his face, "What? I can't make jokes?" Sobering suddenly, he added, "It's been fifteen years. If I can't talk about her now, I'll never be able to heal. That's the trick with things like these, Poe; you have to talk about them, or they will fester and rot your soul. Padme is the perfect example of exactly that happening. She never talked to me about her fears, in fact she hid them from me. Because of that, she turned inward and fell to the Dark Side. I think I'm finally beginning to see that it wasn't my fault, all that happened. My sister's death wasn't my fault, and neither was you wife's. That, I think, is the hardest part to accept. It's not that they're gone – that's right in front of your face, every single day. It's that them _being_ gone is not your fault. I think it's easier to it and blame ourselves than to accept that sometimes, terrible things just happen, and there's nothing we can do to stop them. We lose people we love; it's an inevitable part of life. I know that, eventually, my children will go through when Rey and I pass on. Knowing Rey and myself, we will most likely die in battle."

Rey smiled and squeezed Ben's hand while Finn snorted and shivered dramatically, "Not Twila and me; we're going to die in our sleep, like old people should."

Luke scoffed from his seat in the corner, "Hey! Watch those old people comments! I happen to be _very_ old, and I have no intention of dying in my sleep, or in fact at all anytime soon. No, I've known how I will die for a very long time. I'm going to die in battle, as my father did and as my Master did. I see it sometimes, but I'm not afraid. What is death but a long sleep, after all? I haven't seen anything for fifteen years, so darkness doesn't frighten me anymore."

Poe sighed, "I know; I really should forgive myself, but I feel like there's something blocking me. Maybe you're right, Finn. Maybe I _do_ need to find out for myself what really happened that day. Maybe once I know the full truth, I'll be able to forgive myself. Maybe once I know who _is_ responsible, I'll stop blaming myself."

Finn smiled, "I know. You just needed to figure that out for yourself." They ate the rest of their meal in silence.

As they finished, Poe glanced towards the cockpit, "We should be arriving within the hour; I'd get some rest if I were you lot." With that, Poe walked slowly back to the cockpit, deep in thought.

Two hours later, the _Falcon_ was resting comfortably on a landing pad on the surface of Adumar. As Poe stepped uneasily off of the loading ramp and onto the landing pad, some of the ground crew began to pause in their work to stare. Ben raised an eyebrow, glancing at the others, "Well, so much for a surreptitious landing. Looks like Poe's a bit of a local legend in these parts."

Poe turned to Ben and sighed, "I'm afraid it's going to be like that no matter where we go. I made quite the name for myself while I was here, then vanished. That generally leaves people pretty curious. We're a few days away from Adumar on foot; we'd better get going."

Finn watched his old friend, confused, "Okay, um. Would you like to explain to the rest of the class why we've landed _three days_ away from your village? I thought we were going to do this quickly."

Ben cleared his throat and shook his head at Finn, "It's fine. I'm sure Poe has his reasons, and we don't need to know them."

Poe laid a gentle hand on Ben's shoulder, "No, it's okay. I just need to approach this slowly; I don't think I can just put down in the middle of Braya and be fine. I need to work into it, and that's going to take me a few days."

Finn walked closer to his Bond-Brother and put an arm around his shoulders, being careful to avoid the enormous blastsword that Poe had slung across his back, "I get it, buddy. Don't worry about it; we could use the exercise; we're just sitting around getting fat as teachers, anyway. Lead on, brother."

Poe squared his shoulders and headed resolutely for the lift that let to ground level with Ben, Rey, Finn, Twila, Lilia, Matthew, Luke, Thamian, and Chewie trailing silently along behind him. People continued to stop and stare until the lift slid shut and began to move. The moment the doors shut, Ben, Rey, Finn, and Twila sensed a sudden upswing in noise and chatter, with Poe as the topic. Ben opened his mouth to speak, but Poe beat him to the punch, "Well, so much for secrecy. News of my arrival will spread across Adumar like fire. If there are any of Bahr's agents around, they'll know we're here before much longer! See? Us walking the rest of the way will probably throw them off."

Luke grinned hugely, "You're starting to think like a Jedi – I think you've spent too much time with our kind!"

Poe chuckled wryly, "Yes, I'm sure they will. There's a lot of mixed emotions regarding Jedi here on Adumar – always has been. The only exceptions to that rule might be Luke or Rey, but that's just because of their piloting skills. Thamian may command respect just because of his size; that, and most people think of him as a legendary warrior; he'll probably get a lot of challenges, though. Just watch your back, okay big guy?"

Thamian smiled fiercely, "No fears from me, you wee little man! It's been a while since I had a good fight with someone I'm actually allowed to _hurt_!"

Finn looked affronted, "And what am I? A sparring dummy!?"

Thamian roared with laughter, "No, my little friend; you misunderstand, and knowing you, it was intentional! You figure in the number that can offer me a good fight, but I'm _not_ allowed to hurt!"

Finn and Thamian leaned against the side of the lift, laughing raucously while the others merely chuckled, "One of these days, Thamian, someone is going to take your jokes seriously, and you're going to get yourself into some very serious trouble. I only hope I'm there to see it – first so I can get you out of it, then so I can make sure you _never_ forget it!"

Poe muttered under his breath, "Oh, kind of like a certain brilliant pilot's drunken escapade in a dress, dancing on a table?"

Finn doubled over laughing, "Yes... _exactly_ like that!" He somehow managed to gasp out in between guffaws, "I don't think you'll _ever_ live that one down, Poe!"

Poe snorted, "Not as long as you're still breathing, no."

Lilia shuddered, "Oh, come on; some of us don't relish the mental image of my father in a dress!"

Finn snorted hysterically, "Oh, but you should have seen it! Oh, hang on!"

Finn squinted for a moment and was rewarded by Lilia's shout of revulsion, "Oh, eew! Argh! Uncle Finn! Why would you do that to me!? I could have gone the rest of my life without you sending me _that_ image!" She tilted her head as she considered the image Finn had sent her way mentally, "Although, you _did_ have one _fine_ set of legs, dad! Dang; you'd make a decent-looking woman! Alright, now that I see what the fuss is all about, I don't think I mind hearing this story any more."

As Lilia joined in the hysteria, Poe glared at his only child, "You traitor. I suppose I should just give in with good grace, huh?"

Thamian and Finn glanced at each other, snorted again, and clung to each other for support, "Grace? Not likely! He's going to pout over this one for the _next_ fifteen years, I expect!"

Just then, Ben sensed that they were rapidly approaching the ground, "Alright, enough! I don't think it would go over well for the Adumarians to see a bunch of Jedi acting like schoolchildren."

The atmosphere in the lift quickly sobered, Finn and Thamian staunchly avoiding eye contact and wiping tears from their eyes. They finally managed to regain their composure, and just in time; the lift doors slid open to reveal a crowd of men and women staring at them with open dislike and mistrust. Poe stepped to the forefront and the crowd stepped back somewhat, though the glaring had only increased with Poe's presence, and the crowd now was muttering among itself. Obviously, Poe's welcome was far less warm than even _he_ had expected. Finn was the first to comment, "Hey, I thought you said you were well-respected – what gives?"

Poe sighed, "I am. Notice we haven't had any attempted assassinations yet? The only reason for _that_ is my skill with a blastsword – not that I've used one lately. Don't get me wrong; every man and woman here is armed to the teeth and spoiling for a fight. We'll see some action before too long."

His words seemed to act as a stone dropped in the middle of a lake that caused a wave to break on the shore; a large man pushed his way out of the crowd and bellowed, "POE DAMERON!"

A deep, penetrating silence fell, broken only by Poe's heavy sigh, "Hello, Blaine. It's been a long time."

Blaine snarled viciously at Poe, "Don't you make small talk with me! Don't you dare. We used to be the most feared men on Adumar, whether with a blastsword _or_ in the pilot's seat! What the hell happened to you?"  
Poe turned to face the man and shrugged, "I fell in love," he answered simply.

Blaine scoffed at him, "Oh, yes; and what did you do when she oh-so-conveniently died? You RAN! You tucked your tail between your legs and you _ran_ , like a scared dog. We could have hunted them down together, but you ran, instead. To me, that tells me a hell of a lot more than watching you fight all those years ago."

Poe sighed again, "Don't do this, Blaine. I don't think you could choose a more foolish moment to challenge me; you don't want any of these people as my second; you'll be killed."

Poe's words only angered Blaine further, "SHE WAS MY SISTER! You had _no right_ to take her! You were nothing but some damn freighter pilot; she would have made a fine match with someone who would have treated her the way she deserved, not run off at every chance he got!"  
Poe took a deep breath and let it out slowly, "Don't talk about things you don't understand. You have _no idea_ what our marriage was like."

Blaine growled angrily, "I don't care what it was like! She was my _sister_ , and you might as well have killed her yourself! You weren't there when she needed you! As if you care. I'm sure you were beyond grateful you didn't have to raise that child; it's lucky it died before it knew you!"

Poe had taken all he could stand. He whipped the blastsword off of his back, just as Blaine did the same. Just as they both took their first shot, the bolts froze in midair, followed by Ben's shout of, "Enough!" Poe glanced at his old friend, astonished. What he saw, though, was not Ben, but Lilia; she had leaped into the air, light-sabers buzzing madly, a look of sheer fury on her face. "I understand your grief, but this is neither the time nor the place to discuss such things."

Blaine had not missed Lilia's reaction, either, and watched disdainfully as Ben lowered her carefully to the ground, "Why should _she_ care about your child? She's just your latest in a long line of concubines, or so I've heard."

Poe growled back through gritted teeth, "She's my daughter, you son of a bitch."

Shock flitted across Blaine's face, "She's...She's your _what_?

Poe raised his eyebrow, as it was about all he _could_ move, thanks to Ben, "Well, I understand if your stupidity has dulled your hearing, so listen up: I'll only say this one more time. She. Is. My. Daughter. I adopted her on Kashyyk after both her parents were killed during the war."

The rage seemed to melt out of the rigid lines of Blaine's body as he exhaled sharply, "So...You _wanted_ the child?"

Poe nodded, hardly able to speak, "Yes. More than anything."

Blaine shifted his eyes to Ben, "Would you mind releasing me? If I'm going to come with you, I'll need to be able to move."

At Poe's nod, Ben released Blaine and the two men slowly approached each other, stowing their blastswords as they went. Warily, each man extended a hand and shook. They stood glaring at each other for a long moment before Poe finally spoke, "So. You're coming with us, are you?"

Blaine nodded, a hard glint in his eyes, "Yes. I want to see where my sister died. More than that, though; I want to know _why_."

Poe lifted an eyebrow, "That makes two of us."

Blaine glanced at Lilia who was still glaring at him, her blue eyes hard as diamonds and her raven hair blowing in the wind, "So. Are you going to introduce me to your...daughter?"

Poe cleared his throat and jerked his head towards Blaine, "Come and say hello." Lilia stubbornly stayed still until Poe stared her right in the eye and said in a tone that allowed no argument, "I said come say hello." Lilia's eyes narrowed dangerously, but she did as her beloved father had said, though she remained silent, "Blaine; this is my daughter, Lilia. She is the weaponsmaster of the Neutral Order. She is unrivaled in the art of the two-handed style, except, perhaps, by Ben. If I were you, I wouldn't anger her any further."

Blaine watched Lilia closely for a long moment before he bowed to her and said, "Forgive me, Master Dameron. I misjudged your father, and it was wrong of me."

Lilia puffed a burst of air out her nostrils and nodded curtly at the man, "That just means I'm not going to attack you. Intend my father harm again, and I won't hesitate."

Blaine raised an eyebrow, "I believe you. You may be beautiful, but even the loveliest flower can bear a deadly poison."

Poe watched Blaine for another moment before he turned and walked in the direction of Braya, leaving the others to catch up. The next few days passed in a very disjointed manner. Poe and Blaine often stayed far ahead of the others, though they seemed to speak very little. Ben wondered what was passing between them, but understood that it was really none of his business. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but the closer to Braya they got, the more uneasy Ben grew. He wasn't sure why, but he was almost certain that they were being followed. Every time he turned to look behind them, however, he would see nothing. A few times, though, he caught his Uncle turning his head as though he were listening for something only he could hear. When Ben asked him about his odd behavior, however, Luke only said that it was probably nothing and not to worry about an old man's oddities. Far from assuaging Ben's uneasiness, however, it only made Ben more certain that they were being followed.

At last, they reached the village of Braya, and immediately, Poe was sorry that he had come. Nothing had been touched. Not one single thing had been moved from the place that Poe had left it twenty years ago; even the platform that had been erected in the village square still stood, stained with his wife's blood. Poe's face was bone-white as he stared at the village he had once called home. Nature had reclaimed the village long ago; vines had climbed up the sides of buildings, and the grass was waist-high in some places. All at once, Ben sensed that they had made a grave error in bringing Blaine with them as the man shouted, "I've brought them as you asked, Master! Just let me kill Poe, as agreed."

The altered voice of Salvor Bahr rang through the empty village, "Well done. You may kill him, if you wish. It matters little to me. The ones that I want will die by the hands of my Knights."

Poe turned to stare at Blaine, "You betrayed us!"

Blaine smirked at Poe as he drew his blastsword, "Well, you know what they say: Turn about is fair play."

***Author's Note***

Phew; well, that was a bit out of left field, wasn't it!? I'd have kept writing, but I have _got_ to get some sleep, so I figured it was time for a cliffhanger. So, I should warn you now; the next chapter will contain some horrific flashback sequences regarding Poe's wife. For those of you who didn't read Brotherly Bond before reading this one, it will be entirely new to you. For those of you that _did_ , the next chapter will go into a great deal more detail as far as what was done to her. If you have any problems with rape or torture or so on an so forth, please send me a PM, and I'll explain the important points of the chapter to you; give you the cliffnotes, as it were. (Boy, I just aged myself) Anywho, thanks for reading, as always, and please, please leave some reviews; I love reading what y'all think!


	18. Chapter 18

***Author's Note***

Okay, so consider this your warning: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS A GRAPHIC RAPE/TORTURE/MURDER SCENE! IF YOU ARE SENSITIVE TO THESE THINGS, PLEASE DO NOT CONTINUE READING!

Otherwise...So, massive plot in this chapter. We find out what happened to Poe's wife, and why. Also, really big battle scene. Yaaay! Okay, here we go.

***End Note***

Poe and Blaine circled each other, looking for weaknesses as Knights of Ren swarmed in from every direction. Luke, Chewie and Thamian each stood alone while Ben and Rey and Finn and Twila stood back-to-back, waiting to be surrounded. As smoothly as only fifteen years of training and fighting beside the same group of people could provide, they had separated immediately into the groups in which they fought the best, the moment the situation turned sour. Ben and Rey quickly linked mentally, both looking frantically around for Lilia and Matthew. At last, they spotted the pair, standing together as their elders were. After a moment's hesitation, the two youngsters linked mentally. Ben sensed in Rey's thoughts that she knew, as he did, that they had no chance whatsoever of survival. He sensed the realization set in for the others, as well; only Luke remained calm. Perhaps he knew something they didn't. It mattered little at this point. The only thoughts in Ben's head were for Rey and the children. _I love you, Rey. You are my Light and my only Love. At least we are together, and the children are safe._ Ben felt the acceptance and sorrow swell withing Rey as she removed one hand from her double-bladed saber-staff to reach around and take hold of his left hand, but only for a moment. As her hand returned to the saber-staff, Ben drew his twin blue light-sabers and lit them, settling serenely into his fighting-stance, accepting that he had reached his final moments.

Across the village square, Matthew and Lilia stood back-to-back as well, each in great turmoil. To her very great surprise, Matthew reached for her mind before she could reach for his. _Lilia? Forgive me; I have been a fool. It has been my goal to be a Jedi for so long that I denied myself the only thing I have ever truly desired. I should have told you long ago; I love you. I always have, and there is no other that could or would ever attract me. It began when we were but children. I thought that when I became a Jedi, my feelings for you would lessen but it was, in fact, the opposite. Forgive me, my Love._

Lilia's throat closed as she gripped her mismatched light-sabers tighter and responded as tears welled in her eyes. _You blasted idiot! I love you, too, and if we manage to survive this, I plan on showing you exactly how much. If I don't kill you first."_

Matthew smiled to himself, _Well, then, you'd better fight harder than you ever have in your life, my love. We are dreadfully outnumbered, and they have no intention of taking anyone alive, this time._

Lilia nodded and set her jaw in a grim line. Aloud, she called to the Knights, "Well, what are you waiting for!? Has your Master not let you off your leashes? Come at us! Or is it that you are afraid?"

Angry murmurs and growls came from the assembled Knights. Salvor chuckled behind his mask and called, "Attack, my pets. Take your time with them; you'll want to savor the deaths of the best the Light Side of the Force has to offer!"

With no further invitation required, the Knights charged, pell-mell, at the small force of Jedi that awaited them. As smoothly as water, they each melted out of the way of the first line of attacks; it was a technique they had taught their students time and time again, for use when they were outnumbered beyond the norm for a Jedi. Now, it seemed that it would serve little more purpose than to extend their lives for a few precious moments. Luke was the first to engage the enemy; he leaped neatly into the air, twisting around and landing behind a Knight, cutting him cleanly in two as the Knight turned to face him. Thamian came next, bellowing like a bull and laughing like a maniac, with a wild, half-mad gleam in his eye as he swung his massive vibrosword at any poor fool who stepped into his range. Ben and Rey found themselves in the middle of a pincer movement, and smiled viciously at their enemies as they cut down Knight after Knight that came within range of their combined might. Finn and Twila found themselves in a similar situation, quickly leveling _their_ enemies with a powerful, combined Force-Wave that flattened anything within a fifteen-foot radius from where they were standing. Chewie did as Chewie always did; he stood back far enough to let his bolt-caster go to work, and picked off those he could; when that failed, the Wookie closed in for close quarters combat, flinging Knights this way and that, tearing them limb-from-limb, but always careful not to use his claws; only Wookies that have lost their grip on sanity ever stooped to that level. Finally, Lilia and Matthew executed a charge of their own, each of them slashing and hacking with wild abandon. As the youngest of the Masters present, they used their youth and athleticism to their advantage, taking out as many Knights as they could, dashing from group to group, trying to grant them some relief so that the older Masters could manage to get a breath before the onslaught began again.

In the middle of the square, Poe and Blaine continued to circle each other while the chaotic war between Knights and Jedi raged on, each side using sabers and Force alike. Between the two men, there was a conflicting aura of peace and utter calm. This was a dance that each man had performed hundreds of times in their lifetimes. Here, in this ring, it was battle as it was meant to be: An honorable contest between two people who possessed equal skill with their chosen weapons. "You should never have come back," taunted Blaine.

Poe's eyes narrowed, "You should not have betrayed us, Blaine. She may have been your sister, but she was he love of my life, and she would have been the mother of my children. I never got the chance to know what our lives would have been like. She was stolen from me just as she was stolen from me."

Blaine snarled at Poe, "Enough talking; fight me, or I'll kill you where you stand, and your pretty adopted daughter can watch you bleed to death. I suppose I could go for her next, if you won't fight me. I don't know; do you think she'd fight to avenge her so-called father, or would she prove to be as much of a coward as you have?"

Poe roared in rage and charged, holding the enormous blastsword to the side and behind him as Blaine grinned evilly and charged in a similar stance. Poe had learned a few things from Thamian over the years, however, and at the last moment, he rolled under Blaine's blade and as he rolled up onto the balls of his feet, he pivoted, still in a kneeling position. Using the position to his advantage, he bunched the muscles in his legs and shot upwards in a powerful jump that carried him into the air and forwards. As he descended, he slashed downwards with the blastsword, using the momentum from his jump and the gravitational forces to add power to his blow. Blaine's eyes went wide, and he barely managed to bring his own weapon up in time to block the blow, though it sent him to his knees; the vibrations alone made his arms go numb. "You've changed," Blaine muttered, "You don't fight like you used to."

Poe grinned at him and lowered his face until he was nearly nose-to-nose with Blaine, "Just because I don't live here anymore doesn't mean I let my skill fade. I have honed and expanded my knowledge of sword fighting. I have improved, and learned from those who are more skilled and more knowledgeable than I am. Their tutelage has improved my skill beyond your comprehension. I haven't been living with _and teaching_ Jedi for the last fifteen years for nothing! I picked up a few things, _old friend_."

Blaine paled somewhat; obviously, he had not counted on Poe not only keeping up with his skill, but _expanding_ it. Not one to be easily deterred, however, Blaine shifted his weight and twisted while still on one knee, ducked under Poe's blastsword, and jerked upwards, slamming his head up into Poe's chin, making Poe bite his tongue. Poe wiped a trickle of blood from his mouth and narrowed his eyes again, shifting into his defensive stance again. Blaine stepped to his left, swinging suddenly at Poe. Poe had seen the move coming, however; he'd seen it a hundred times when Blaine was dueling in their youth. The man's style had not changed in the least. Poe had found his predictable then, and he found him the same now. The two exchanged blow after blow, each testing the others' defenses. Poe showed far less of his skill than was truly there, though, and it lulled Blaine into a false sense of security. Poe waited as Blaine got used to what the ever-arrogant man assumed was Poe's new level of skill, and allowed Blaine to close in and press the end of his sword to Poe's side with his finger on the trigger. This had been Blaine's favored finishing move for as long as Poe could remember, and was gratified to see that it had not changed. Just as Blaine's finger twitched on the blastsword's trigger to fire the deadly bolt, Poe smiled sadly at Blaine and twisted viciously, bringing the blade of his blastsword up and neatly severing Blaine's right arm between the shoulder and the elbow. Blaine screamed in agony as he fell to the ground. In rage, he swung a weak, left-handed blow, catching Poe in the ribs on the left side. Poe only raised an eyebrow and calmly swept his own weapon up and batting Blaine's weapon out of his weakened grasp, and out of reach. Blaine began to work his way to his feet, his left hand scrabbling madly towards Poe's throat. Poe spared him only a moment's glance, neatly spun and threw his leg out, kicking Blaine across the temple and knocking him cold.

Ben and Rey were surrounded on all sides. They saw that the others had managed to make some sort of progress against their overwhelming odds, it seemed that the odds facing Ben and Rey had only increased. _I think we're their main target. We need to take out as many of them as we can before the end._ Rey spared one aching, heartbroken glance for her beloved before she nodded, her gaze hardening into that resolve that Ben had first fallen in love with. For a moment, he saw her as she had been over sixteen years ago when he'd first seen her standing before him, defiantly pointing a blaster at him. For those few seconds, he felt closer to Rey than he had in their years together. Ben smiled crookedly at her before turning back to their enemies with a wild cry, Ben sprung back into the fight. Now that he had accepted his death, he fought like a man possessed. He no longer feared injury or death, and he knew that Rey felt the same. Together, they tore through innumerable Knights. It seemed as though they might actually turn the tide, but before long, the wrath of the Knights was on them. They closed ranks again, closing Ben and Rey at their center. They heard a scream of denial come from Lilia as they vanished from the view of the others. Ben and Rey sent out one final, powerful Force-Wave, laying their attackers flat so they could have one moment to say goodbye to each other. Ben wrapped Rey in close for one last kiss, tears streaming down his face as a Force-Blast threw them both off their feet. When he looked up, Ben saw that two Knights had Rey tightly by the arms. "We're going to make her watch," one of them said quietly. Ben heard a few ragged cheers, which seemed odd to him, for some reason. Then, before he could think anything else, the blow that he had been expecting came. He kept his eyes on Rey's, acceptance in his every line.

But the blow never came. Instead, a pair of twin green light-sabers that pulsed and buzzed in perfect unison stopped the blade just in time. Two hands were flung out, sending the Knight flying. Finn and Padme Solo reached down and pulled their father to his feet, their faces uncharacteristically grim, "We know; we're dead meat. But you can kill us _after_ we save your lives, okay?" Finn called his father's light-sabers to him and pushed them into Ben's hands before he and his twin sprang off again, tearing through the remaining Knights like they were butter. Ben turned to advance on the Knights that had a hold of Rey, only to find that Padme had already dispatched them neatly and efficiently.

Ben rushed to his beloved, her safety the only thing on his mind, "Are you alright!?"

Rey chuckled shakily, "Yes, I'm fine. They came out of nowhere; I never even sensed them!"

Ben shook his head, "Oh, yes; they _definitely_ take after you." Rey chuckled weakly again and re-lit her staff-saber, "Ready, are you? Good. Me, too." Ben lit his sabers and together, they plunged once more into the fray, picking off the stragglers their eldest children left behind them. It was then that Ben and Rey noticed that _all_ the children, save Han, had defied them. T'arla and Jar'lek stood beside their parents, fighting as fiercely as three full-grown Masters, while Finn, Padme, Anakin, and Leia had grouped together and were fighting as a seamless, cohesive team. In that moment, the Solo children ceased to be children altogether. In their parents' eyes, they were already full Masters, no matter what the Council was sure to say. Ben and Rey joined their children, and together, they managed to turn back the Knights; never had the galaxy known such strength as was amassed before the Knights. In a short period of time, only Salvor stood; his Knights lay strewn about him, dead and dying. Many were missing limbs, and no few were missing their heads. Or their lower torso; some had been cut in half vertically as well, but Ben tried not to look at those. Even _his_ battle-seasoned stomach might not be able to handle _that_ sight. As he glanced away, he spotted Lilia and Matthew staring at each other, emotions raging in their eyes. The pair lunged at each other and met in a kiss that was equal parts joy and frustration; Ben smiled at the sudden, unbidden memory of his first kiss with Rey and turned to face the man standing on the platform above them.

"You've lost, Salvor! Why don't you do us all a favor and come quietly?" Rey called out, her chest heaving both with rage and with exertion.

Salvor's altered voice laughed at them through his mask, "Beaten? I am not beaten, child. You will never defeat me. I am The Darkness, and there is no power in the galaxy that can stop me! You may send every Master, Padawan, and child you have against me, but I will turn your tides aside and slaughter your children."

Padme had stepped a very small step forward, her head cocked to the side, as though she were listening intently for something. Suddenly and quite without warning, she shifted her weight suddenly and pushed off the ground, hard. She launched into the air, arching so that she was aimed directly at Salvor. Padme lit her light-saber as she neared the ground, neatly landing beside him, her blade stretched out behind her. Salvor had suddenly stopped speaking, and slid in two. The mask fell away, and the others stared at confusion. Padme gestured at the sparking body, "He was never here. It was always just a droid." Deactivating her blade and stepping away from the sparking droid remains, Padme walked calmly back to her twin, taking his hand in hers, as had been their habit since birth, and very likely from inside the womb itself.

Finn and Padme shrugged and walked to where Poe sat with Blaine. Leia, it seemed, had beaten them to the wounded man, "I can't reattach your arm, but I'm sure you can afford a new one. There. That should be better now."

Blaine stared in shock at the now-healed stump of his right arm, then stared at Poe as though he had never seen him before, "I was wrong about you, Poe. And I was wrong about your friends. It seems that you were the wiser one, after all. Getting off this planet was clearly the best thing that ever happened to you."

Poe smiled gently, "Yes. That, and the short time I shared with Valerie."

Finn Solo laid a gentle hand on Poe's shoulder, "Master Dameron, we need to talk."

Poe looked carefully at Finn and nodded, "It would appear that we do. First, I need to do what we came here to do. Clearly, there is something that Salvor doesn't want me to know. So, let's find out, shall we?"

Luke walked slowly over to Poe, "I couldn't agree more, my friend. Therefore, let us get started." Luke and Poe sat together in the now-flattened grass, eyes closed. What Poe saw, though, every Force-Sensitive within one hundred miles saw and felt as clearly as though they were Poe.

 _A beautiful, red-haired woman stood by an open window, admiring the beautiful day as her bread sat in the window to cool. She folded her hands over her swollen stomach, sighing happily, "Your daddy will be home soon, little one. I hope you wait that long. I can't wait to meet you, my little love. Your daddy is going to love you so much; I know because he already does, and because he loves me."_

 _Just then, there was a scream from the other end of the village. Braya was a peaceful place; there were rarely any duels or fights of any kind, saver perhaps the occasional drunken brawl, but nothing serious. Still, Valerie had watched enough duels to know the sounds of a massive fight when she heard them. Instead of growing quieter, though, it was only getting louder. Suddenly, more screams rent the air, and Valerie's pulse jumped._

 _She rushed as quickly as she could to the bedroom she shared with Poe and started throwing some clothes into a brown sack. She hurried back to the kitchen and did the same with the pantry, including the fresh bread in her little raid. She threw the sack over her shoulder and ran from the house, heading for the outskirts of the village; there was another town thirty miles away that she thought she and the baby might be safe at. Just as Valerie reached the last house, a line of Stormtroopers suddenly blocked her way. Valerie began to cry, but tore a blaster from under her skirts and got off five shots, dropping five Stormtroopers to the ground, where they moved no more. She was quickly disarmed and apprehended._

 _They hit her, hard across the face, then dragged her, kicking and screaming, to the village square, where a tall man was waiting. He turned, but his face was hidden in shadow; his voice was little more than a whisper as he said softly, "So. This is Valerie Dameron. Your husband is quite the little troublemaker. Well, correction; he_ will _be quite the difficult man, some day. I intend, however, to see to it that he never sees that day. Now; where is he? Tell me, and I'll let you and your...baby...live."_

 _Valerie's bottom lip trembled, but she spat at the man and raised her head defiantly, "Never."_

 _The man wiped his face calmly. Quick as lightning, the man's hand lashed out and the back of it cracked her hard across the cheek. "Shame, that," he said, though Valerie sincerely doubted that he meant it, "It would seem, then, that I will have to make an example of you. I'll just dress you all pretty and leave you as a message to young Master Dameron. He'll be called that, someday, you know. I'm sure he'll come running when he hears what's happened to his beloved wife. Hold her," he said in an almost bored tone to the Stormtroopers behind her. Drawing a long, thin dagger from his belt, the man advanced slowly on Valerie, a sick gleam in his eye. "Now, I'd say that I'm not going to enjoy this, but I was raised never to tell a lie, so I won't. I_ am _going to enjoy this. But first, I'll give you one last sporting chance: Give Poe Dameron to me, now."_

 _Valerie could not stop the tears that began to pour down her face, "He's not here. I don't know where he is right now, and even if I did know, I wouldn't tell you."_

 _The man sighed and slashed her across the face, "Ah, well. What a shame." He turned to the Stormtroopers again, "Take her to the platform and do what you will with her; leave the baby alive, though. I have my own purposes for it."_

 _The men surrounding her started to laugh and dragged her to a platform that had been raised, chaining her to a post that stood in the center. The men tore at her skirts, exposing her bare legs, and it was then that Valerie realized what they intended to do with her. She began to fight, kicking and screaming, but they only beat her for her troubles. The first man released his member and advanced on her, forcing her legs open. As he forced himself into her, Valerie screamed in pain, fear for her unborn child, and anger. She hated the feel of him inside her, and vomited as he began to move. He was very rough, not loving and gentle like her husband had always been; she had never been touched by another man, but by the time they were through with her, every man with the inclination had had a turn. She laid bleeding and gagging on the platform, completely naked. Her alabaster skin was no longer flawless; long, shallow gashes were all over her arms, legs, torso, and back. Her baby still lived, though; she could feel it thrashing inside her. It didn't like that its mother was in pain, and it was afraid._

 _The man approached her again, and this time, she saw his face as he smiled coldly at her, "You should have taken my deal, Mrs. Dameron. You would have saved yourself so much pain. And now, the last thing you ever hear will be your baby's cries as it starves to death at your feet. You will die long before the infant, I'm afraid. And don't worry about the rest of the village; they won't interfere. My men will kill them before I kill you." As if his quiet taunts were a signal, screams erupted all around her, ear-splitting in their volume and terror. Even children screamed as they were mowed down by the man's forces. He smiled again, a gleam of terrible madness in his eyes as he lowered his dagger to her belly and ripped it viciously across her middle. Her eyes bulged and blood gurgled up into her throat as she screamed, her throat tearing and blood vessels in her eyes bursting. She heard her child's first cries, then heard the poor babe be laid naked at her feet, "Oh, how sweet," came the taunt, "It's a girl." The man cackled softly as the light faded from Valerie's eyes._

Poe sprung to his feet as the vision faded, and every face around him once again became those of his friends and family. Not a single one of them had gone unaffected, and not a dry eye was to be seen. "It was him. Salvor Bahr did this. He knew I'd stand against him, and he tried to take me out first. He killed her because he was afraid of me! I'll end him for this, I swear it!"

Finn and Padme dried their faces on their sleeves and glanced uneasily at each other. Finn stepped closer to Poe and said softly, "Poe? We were given a message for you, and I think it might have some bearing on what we all just witnessed." Poe's eyes snapped to Finn's and he nodded jerkily. Finn took a deep breath and continued, "There's a village about thirty miles from here. He runs a cantina there, and he said he knew you. He said, and I quote, 'the girl is alive'."

Poe's eyes went wide, and his face paled, "Take me to him," was all that he would say.

***Author's Note***

And the plot, as they say, thickens. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and I sincerely hope I didn't upset anyone. Thanks for reading, everyone!


	19. Chapter 19

***Author's Note***

Hello! Glad to see you're all still here. Oh, wait; I'm not actually here? You're just reading this? Huh. Okay, well, thanks for reading, then! Hahaha, ahem. Excuse me; anyway...This chapter's mostly the journey back from Braya, but it's still got some pretty important parts in it. The end, there's kind of a massive bomb being dropped on your heads, so buckle in! Enjoy!

***End Note***

The twins took the lead on the trek to the small village that it seemed they had only just left. Since they were in very little hurry, they had decided to walk, rather than speed their way through use of the Force. In this way, they thought that the children would be given a very well-deserved rest. Ben and the others were, quite frankly, terribly impressed by the conviction their children had shown in this situation. Ben's mind strayed to the hour before they had left Braya when Finn and Padme had cornered him down the passageway between two houses.

 _"_ _Father," Finn had said, "We will accept all of the responsibility for our actions. The others had nothing to do with this; they just followed our lead. Expel us from the Academy, if you see fit to do so, but let the others stay. Padme and I have gone over this time and time again over the last few days. Punish us, not the others, Father. I know you said that if we disobeyed you again, we would be removed form the Order, and that's just fine with us, only don't take it out on the others." They had both removed their light-sabers from their belts and held them out to their Father, "Take them, Father; it's alright."_

 _Ben had stood, flabbergasted by the sudden change in his oldest children. They had gone from the most unruly Padawans he had ever had in the Academy to..._ this _. He had been utterly speechless for a moment before he said, "No, that won't be necessary. You disagreed with your orders and followed your hearts. You followed the path that the Force led you down; even if it was not the path we had_ ordered _you to take, it was the correct one. Doing the right thing is very rarely ever the same thing as doing what is_ easy _. I am proud of you. You disobeyed orders, yes, but you also saved all of our lives today, and no counting how many more. If Salvor had defeated us today, he would have swept across the galaxy like a plague. He sees us as his greatest threats. With us gone, he would have seen it as being his opportunity to carry out his plans. As for you, Padme...You saw what none of the rest of us did. You knew that Salvor was not really there, when the droid decoy had fooled even Luke. You have proven that you have matured and your judgment has improved with you. This transformation of yours has been more than your Mother and I could ever have hoped for. I'm sure that I speak for your Mother as well as myself when I say that we are very proud of you. You'll be keeping your light-sabers, and you will face little to no punishment. These circumstances are hardly ordinary. As a matter of fact, between you two, me, and that wall over there, I am afraid we are now at war. In wartime, exceptions are made when faced with such circumstances as these._

 _The twins had stood gaping, still holding their light-sabers. After a moment, they had glanced at each other and a wide, identical grin had spread across their faces. The twins had replaced their light-sabers on their belts and flung their arms around their Father's back, "To be honest, Father, we're just glad that your stubbornness didn't get you all killed. You are well known as one of the most stubborn Neutral Jedi that there's ever been, and that include Qui-Gon Jinn, and we all know what a pain in the Council's ass_ he _was!" The twins had drawn back, laughing, together they had joined the others before heading out of the village._

The twins were walking hand-in-hand, far enough ahead that they could speak together quietly without being overheard, as they were doing now with their heads bowed close to one another. Ben shook his head for a moment. Fin and Padme's relationship reminded him greatly of the way he and _his_ twin had been. Ben sighed; it had been fifteen years since her death, but still he missed her. It was a piece of luck that the twins had retained their sanity. They had an interesting dynamic; they were nearly the same person, but there were a few key areas where they were different. Frankly, the pair of them astounded him. In his eyes, they were what he and his Padme should have been, had circumstances not been what they were.

Ben shook his head to clear it, earning himself an odd look from Rey. He reached out and took Rey's hand, squeezing it gently to reassure her and smiling. Glancing behind them, he saw Matthew and Lilia trailing far behind the main bulk of the group. Nudging Rey gently, he jerked his head towards the pair and chuckled as Rey grinned in response. Leaning close, Ben whispered in her ear, "Looks like Luke was right."

Luke, who of course had overheard them, came close and whispered close, "Of course I was." Ben, Rey, and Luke dissolved into quiet giggles, each glancing back to be sure the pair was not watching them.

Far in the back, Lilia and Matthew walked closely together, unwilling to be parted, but saying nothing. Neither could figure out exactly how to begin the sure to be awkward conversation about what had been said when they both thought that death was a certainty. At last, Matthew took a deep breath and spoke, his voice trembling, "I meant it, you know. Every word."

Lilia missed a step and stumbled; Matthew caught her in time, gathering her to him. Her breath caught in her chest as she stared into his startling green eyes. At last, she found her breath, "So did I," she managed to whisper through the lump in her throat and the tears in her eyes. On a half-cry, Matthew lunged forward , crushing Lilia to him and kissing her full on the lips. For the space of a heartbeat, Lilia thought she would faint. Her breath stopped entirely, and she could swear that her heart stopped beating. Then, before she knew what was happening, she had thrown herself into the kiss. Her heart went from a standstill to a sprint in less than half a second. Her breath came in short gasps, and much too soon, the kiss was over. Lilia leaned her forehead against Matthew's, his unruly red hair enveloping them both as he held her close.

On a sudden suspicion, Lilia glanced to where the others had been and blushed deeply; they had all stopped to watch the couple's moment. Lilia's father, in particular, had a massive smile on his face; it looked like his face may split in two, he was so happy. Poe walked slowly to his beloved daughter and hugged her tight to his chest, "I'm happy for you, really." He turned to Matthew, "You take care of my girl." Matthew nodded and wrapped an arm around Lilia's shoulder, drawing her close again.

As Poe walked slowly back to where he had stopped, Blaine, who had accompanied them, cocked his head curiously, "You treat her as though she were your own."

Poe sighed, "You see, Blaine, that is why I pity you. I may not have had a hand in her beginnings, but she _is_ mine, nonetheless. I _chose_ her. In my mind, that makes her mine just as much as if I had _created_ her."

Blaine shrugged, "I still don't get it."

Poe smiled sadly, "I know you don't. You never could; that's why you felt the way you did about Valerie and me. You couldn't understand what drew her to a man like me. There was always something... _off_ about you, old friend. You just never quite grasped the concept of unconditional love."

Blaine stared at Poe thoughtfully, "No, maybe not. What about the Twi'lek? Does the concept extend to that... _thing_?"

Poe huffed out an aggravated breath through his nose, but smiled at his misguided friend, "Yes, Blaine. It extends to her, as well. She and Finn are mates; for a Twi'lek, that means that he is _literally_ her other half. That bond between them is only amplified through the Force, making it so that neither could or would live without the other, and the same is true for Ben and Rey. There's nothing more to be said; love chooses you, old friend. You don't choose who you love."

Blaine remained silent, rubbing absently at the stump of his right arm. Poe could see that his words made little sense to the man, but at least he was _considering_ them now. Poe had always wondered if there wasn't something broken deep inside Blaine, ever since Poe and Valerie had told him of their engagement. He had been so cold, so cruel to his only sister; Poe had thought, at first, that it was only because he was an older brother protecting his younger sister, but now he was beginning to see that Blaine had never truly understood love. It baffled him, even more so when it was bestowed upon him. Poe sighed; there was nothing more that he could do for his old friend, except perhaps to leave him alone to wrestle with this new revelation.

Up ahead, the twins were still leaning in closely together, talking. Or rather, Finn was talking and Padme was thinking her responses. They had communicated in this way since they had first learned to talk. At first, Rey and Ben had been concerned that there was something wrong with Padme, but they soon came to accept that the silence was Padme's _choice_ , rather than an inability to speak. They had long since grow accustomed to the odd way the twins had of communicating. "What do you think we'll find back there?" Finn paused to listen for a moment, "Yeah, I was thinking along those lines, myself. Well, either way, Poe's going to have quite the day. Do you think he knows who the old man is?..Yeah, you've gotta figure that he has at least a theory about it. Still; what do you think it means?...Really? You're thinking in _that_ direction? But we saw everything happen! How could...Huh. I didn't consider that angle. You always were cleverer than me, 'Me...Oh, shut up. Dunno about you, but I pretty much saw Matthew and Lilia coming since this whole thing started...What do you mean, I'm dense!?...Years?...Since they were kids? Huh. Wow. Alright, maybe you're right. Maybe I really _am_ dense. Well, who do you think will take over as Luke's heir?... _Really_!? You think Luke will go in _that_ direction?...Well, yes, I suppose...True, but still...Alright, alright. The power's there, the capability, the cleverness, the imaginative streak...You might have a point, but we'll wait and see...Yes, I know. I've thought of that already. We could be heading from bad into worse. Just because Salvoid got its butt kicked back there doesn't mean the real thing's not still sticking around...Yeah, it had to be. I can't think of anyone else with that kind of power; you?...Could be, yeah. Maybe it's something that comes with being the bearer?...True, seemed like she could do it before...I don't know, 'Me. This whole thing's just so strange. Everything's changing so fast. Do you think this is how it feels to grow up? I mean, one day we're sitting around, having a laugh and just cutting up like always, then out of the blue, we're fighting for our lives. Do you think that's kind of how being an adult feels? Like everything changed overnight?...Huh. Yeah, I guess that _is_ what happens when you have kids. Only with us, our 'kids' are all the people in the galaxy that can't protect themselves. I guess we really _are_ growing up, huh, 'Me?...Yeah, me, too, 'Me. I'm glad you're here with me. Just make me a promise, yeah? No matter what happens, neither of us can go down the road Aunt Padme chose. I don't want either of us to have to do what Father did...Love you, too, sis." Finn threw an arm around his twin's shoulder and pulled her into a tight, one-armed hug just as she did the same.

The group traveled for the rest of that day, through the night, and well into the next morning. It was nearly time for lunch when they finally reached the village. The slow journey had done what it was meant to, though; the children were all rested again, and Leia, in particular, had improved immensely. For some reason Ben couldn't quite put his finger on, this whole ordeal seemed to have worn on Leia more than the other children. Ben was quite sure that he was missing something that was terribly obvious to the other children, but he just couldn't figure it out. He made a mental note to ask them how they had managed... _everything_...but it would have to wait. As they entered the village, Ben instantly went on high alert as many of the men of the village began to converge on their location. Only the children seemed calm, which was strange to Ben. He was about to reach for his light-sabers when one of the men bowed deeply to Finn.

"Honorable Master; you are most welcomed, and it is our great pleasure to serve you. What can we do for you?" The man's eyes widened and his mouth gaped as he took in their prisoner of sorts, "Yes, that's Blaine. He ran afoul of Poe Dameron after betraying him. Poe allowed him to live, though; foolish pride is no reason for someone to have to die." The man's eyes grew wide again, this time with a glint of wisdom as he took in the one-armed man.

The man bowed to Poe, then a second time to Finn as he waved a few of his fellows forward, "Very well, Honorable Master. He will be seen to. Is there anything else for you?"

Finn smiled, "No, but thank you. We're heading for the cantina."

The man paled somewhat, "The cantina? But...I'm not so sure that's a good idea."

Finn chuckled, "That's alright. We have business there. He's expecting us."

The man nodded and stepped aside, "Of course, Master; I'm glad you returned. I was afraid, given the speed with which you left us, that something was wrong."

Finn sighed, "There was something wrong; my family was in terrible danger due to Blaine's betrayal. We all nearly died, but thanks to sheer dumb luck, we managed to turn the tide."

The man's eyes darted quickly among the assembled Masters, and suddenly something seemed to click as he stared between Finn, Padme, and Ben, "So...Am I to assume that this is your father?" Finn nodded as the man approached Ben and extended his hand. As Ben took the offered hand and shook it, the man spoke again, "Your children are incredibly wise, Master Solo. Your son gave orders that we not come to harm, though we attacked them without provocation. We were under the thrall of the man who calls himself The Darkness, it is true, but still. It would have been easy enough for them to tear us apart. Your son, however, saw to it that we were not harmed, and allowed us to return to our families. He didn't even report the incident to the local authorities, which would have been well within his rights. Thank you, Master, for whatever it is that you did to make your children into such extraordinary people."

Ben stared first at the man, then at Finn and back again, "Well. Thank you; I am proud of the man that he has become, myself. His twin has become quite the woman, as well. Now; if you will excuse us, I think we have some questions that must be answered." The man bowed again and stepped out of the way. The group made their way to the cantina, and Ben raised an eyebrow as he saw the damage that had been done, "Huh. You really did a number on this place, children. And no one was killed?"

Finn nodded as he turned grimly to the seemingly-empty cantina, "We've returned as you requested," he called out. "We gave him the message. You were right; he wanted to see you. We didn't tell him who the message came from, as requested."

There was a creak from behind the bar, and a shadowy figure stepped forward. As he moved into the light, Poe gasped, "Father? What are you doing here?"

Old Dameron sighed gustily, "You're here. I never thought I'd see you again, son. I understand why you left; I'm not angry with you. However, there were things you...left behind. There were things you never knew."

Poe shook his head, clearly confused, "You said 'she's alive'. What do you mean?"

Poe's father shifted uncomfortably, "Well, I think it'd be easier to show you, rather than tell you. Come on out, my dear. It's alright." From the shadows, a beautiful red-haired woman stepped into the light. Her eyes were the shade of emeralds, and they shone brightly with pride and great strength, even though there was little light in the dim room. She stared at Poe as though seeing someone from a dream that you could not quite believe was real.

Poe stumbled back a few steps, his breath hitching and his heart pounding in his chest. Lilia grabbed at his elbow, trying to steady him, but Poe jerked away from her. At last, in a voice that trembled with shock, Poe whispered, "Valerie?"

***Author's Note***

Phew. Well, that was, as promised, quite the bomb. No worries; all will be explained in the next chapter! Lots of love, all! Hope you enjoyed the chapter!


	20. Chapter 20

***Author's Note***

Good morning, all! So, this chapter, there's a lot of talking, but we get to see this amazing moment where Poe finally puts two and two together...have you lot figured out who Valerie is yet? Probably; you're a smart bunch! Anywho, before I say any more, I'd better just say, "enjoy!"

***End Note***

The young woman stood staring at Poe with unveiled suspicion and aggression in her eyes. She glanced at Poe's father, her gaze questioning. Old Dameron glanced at the girl and held up a cautioning hand, "Be still, child." Turning to Poe, he said, "Yes, her name is Valerie, but she is not the Valerie you knew."

Poe seemed to regain his balance as another possibility began to occur to him. He shook his head, confused. "Father...What are you saying?"

Old Dameron watched his only son, impatience n his eyes, "You know full well what I'm saying." At the old man's words, Valerie's head snapped around and her eyes grew wide with shock as she stared at Poe.

Poe, meanwhile, could not grasp what his father was trying to tell him, "No...That can't...That's impossible. I'd have known."

Poe's father sighed heavily and some measure of sympathy crept into his steely gaze for the first time since his son had entered his modest cantina, "At the risk of sounding like some ridiculous Jedi...Search your heart, son. You know it's true." Poe continued to shake his head stubbornly, "But I saw..."

The old man cut him off, "What you saw was a fallacy meant to fool the First Order. You saw only a portion of the truth. Believe me, son; I know how this must sound. Surely, you must feel it, though." Poe paused, his hand half-reaching for his heart. His father saw the odd jerk and nodded in satisfaction, "You see? Your heart knows, even if your head won't accept the truth." Turning to the girl, he held out his hand, "Come here, child." The girl slowly walked towards the old man, clasping his hand with her own, which trembled violently.

Poe's voice shook as he answered, unable to tear his eyes from the young woman, "Are you saying...that this is my..." Poe's voice seemed to fail him as he trailed off into silence.

Nodding, Old Dameron said softly into the heavy silence, "Yes. She is your daughter."

Lilia's hand shot out and caught her father as his knees gave out, catching him before he hit the ground. "How?" Was all Poe could manage to whisper.

Suddenly, Poe's father seemed to carry three times the years that belonged to him. His shoulders sagged, his breathing seemed to become more labored, and the lines in his face deepened, "Come; let us all sit and have drinks. It is a long story, my son." Valerie, however, seemed unwilling to sit, "come, child; sit with us." Valerie shook her head, her face pale and drawn, her eyes still locked on Poe's face, "I said sit," the old man said in a quietly dangerous voice. Valerie glanced at him at last, and sat with as much dignity as she could muster, staying as far from Poe as she could manage.

"Father? If I'd known..." Poe stared at his father, a desperate plea in his eyes.

At last the old man softened, "I know, son." Glancing around, he raised an eyebrow, "Forgive me; I've waited so long for this moment that I'm afraid I have been unforgivably rude to you and your family. My name is Urijah Dameron, and I am most pleased to make all of your acquaintances. It may not seem to be the case, but I have been keeping close tabs on my son's activities over the last twenty years, and I am incredibly proud of the man he has become." Urijah sighed, collecting his thoughts before beginning his tale, "Let me see...Where to begin? Well, I suppose I should begin just before that terrible day." The old man took out an ancient, knobbly pipe and a packet of tobacco and packed the pipe tightly before lighting it and pulling deeply, blowing the smoke out his nose as he thought. He puffed on the pipe again and began to speak, "The First Order was still at the height of its power, and times were...uncertain, to say the least. There were stories of Resistance-friendly villages being wiped off the face of the galaxy overnight, children being stolen form their homes as bargaining chips...the list of cruelties done to the common people goes on and on. I'm sure I don't need to tell you lot all of them, especially Master Solo, as his twin was the perpetrator...Anyway, as I was saying. Things had been uncertain for quite some time, and I worried for my son. I feared that, given his rebellious nature, he would soon find himself in the First Order's attentions. I feared that he would get some damnfool idea into his head to go traipsing off and set himself up as some damn 'Rebel Leader'.

"As his prowess in battle grew, my fear grew with it. At least, that was until he met a certain young lady. Valerie stole his heart from the first moment he saw her. She was the only thing that had ever made my son long for a life of peace, and within a few months of knowing her, his wild ways had, for the most part, become a part of the past. I thought that he would be safe once they were married. He became a simple freighter pilot, and my heart grew easy. The months passed into years, and my fear faded entirely. After three years of marriage, they found that they were expecting their first child," here he took Valerie's hand, "and I knew my son would stay on Adumar from the day of her birth on. I knew he was planning to quit piloting, even though everyone knew he loved it. He had told me privately that he wanted to open a cantina in Braya so that he wouldn't have to leave Valerie or their child ever again. "The day he left for his final job, I felt a thrill of fear that I couldn't explain. It wasn't until later that day that I realized why. As I had stood on the landing pad, watching him fly off, I'd overheard some conversation regarding my boy. I'd not been able to hear the words, but his name had caught my ear. It stuck in my head, and I began to worry again. A few days after that, I was in the market, doing some simple shopping when I overheard a strange man asking after my son. He wanted to know where he could be found, what he did for a living, and so on. The shopkeeper lied and said he didn't know where Poe lived, but that he had heard of him, as everyone on Adumar had. He'd asked why the stranger was looking for Poe, but the man would only say that his 'master' was looking for him. A sick sense of wrongness twisted in my heart at hearing that conversation. Immediately, I contacted some old friends of mine that worked in law enforcement, and asked if they would tell me whether or not Poe was in trouble, but to keep the inquiry quiet. Almost immediately, my friends told me there was nothing; no warrants, no inquiries. His name wasn't even on any of the First Order's watchlists for Resistance Sympathizers. I could not fathom any reason why someone would be looking for my son.

"I had just returned from visiting my daughter-in-law; I knew the child would come soon, and I was uncomfortable with the idea of her being alone so often. I had taken to visiting her every couple of days; sometimes, I even stayed for a few days. I had only just entered my door as the shadows of early evening began to stretch across the land when I was seized by the oddest urge to hide myself in the shadows around my doorway. Just as I vanished from view, I heard footsteps approaching, and two men laughing. Even from behind, there was no disguising those First Order Officers' uniforms. I heard them talking about someone called 'Salvor', and how he had been looking for my son. They said they didn't know or care why the 'old man' wanted Poe dead, but they were sure he'd get him in short order. They passed my door then, and I heard nothing more from them. I knew that I had to get back to Braya as quickly as I could and get Valerie out as quickly as I could, so I clamored onto my speeder again and took off, moving as quickly as I possibly could. It was full dark before I reached Braya, and I immediately knew something was wrong

"There were spots of bright, red light that even from a distance I knew were fires. The closer I got to the village, the more certain I grew that there was nothing I could do. I heard the screaming from where I stopped, weeping. Suddenly, over the din, I heard Valerie's voice, quite clearly. Her screams were louder and more pained than any of the other voices I could hear. It went on for hours, the sound of her screaming. At last, everything went deathly silent, and I dared to steal silently into Braya. What I saw was...Well, you've all been there. I'm sure you can imagine. I found Valerie fairly quickly, and I knew that she'd been left there intentionally. The First Order was still about, so I didn't dare try to take her then and there, but there was something else that I thought, perhaps, I could do. There was only one sound now that rose over the village: There were two babies crying. One was strong, while the other was clearly nearing death. I searched carefully until I found the dying child and hurried to the platform where my granddaughter had been so carelessly placed. Valerie had died with her fingertips mere centimeters from her babe; the sight caused a lump to rise in my throat and tears to streak my cheeks. I swapped the dying babe with Valerie and Poe's child, shoved a finger in her mouth for her to suck on to keep her quiet, and made my way, more carefully than ever, out of the village. I loaded the child onto my speeder, and we left the village behind. It was nearing noon when I finally returned; I had feared pursuit and confused my trail as much as possible.

"Of course, my flight the night before had been noticed; many of my friends and neighbors were concerned that something had happened. I explained the situation to them, and they helped me to hide the babe. We knew there would likely be inspections and the like; a friend hid me in the basement of this very cantina, and they passed over with no incident. It was a bit hairy for a moment, though; I could hear them walking around up here, and dust kept falling on my head. I knew that if the child made any sound whatsoever, we would both be doomed, and likely the rest of the village, as well. At last, the First Order left, and I was free to take my first good look at my grandchild. It was then that she opened her eyes for the first time to look directly at me. Her gaze was so much like that of her mother – direct and intelligently curious – that I wept. I examined her for any injuries, and found that she was in perfect health, amazingly enough. I named her Valerie, after her mother. I hid her away for a few days, waiting for your return. Within a week, I heard that you had, indeed, returned to Adumar, and had headed for Braya immediately. It seemed that no one had thought to warn you of what you would find. I expected you to arrive any day, looking for answers, but the next thing I knew, you had left Adumar altogether.

"For a long time, I could not fathom why it was that you had not come to me, but I figured it out after a few months. I realized that my trickery had fooled you, as well. I should have left you some sign, I realize now. I was so afraid that they'd find the girl, though, that I didn't; I know now that it was a terrible mistake not to do so. For that, I am sorry. When you didn't come, I tried to send you messages by 'comm and by holo, but still I heard nothing from you. I can't tell you how many times I called you over the years, trying to tell you that your daughter was alive. I raised her as my own; not long after I claimed her as my own, I realized that I would need a better source of income than I'd previously had, so I made a deal with the friend that owned this cantina before me; he said that if I could make a go of it, he'd let me run it for a while before I bought the property from him at a reasonable price. We did just that; it took me a few years, but I managed it. I've built a life for us here, for the sake of my granddaughter.

"I knew you'd return someday, though. When Valerie was five, a stranger came to my cantina, not that that was an odd thing in and of itself, but this one, in particular, was odd. The visitor that came to me was a young woman, cloaked in black and wearing a mask that altered her voice, but still I knew it was a woman. I had served her, and was moving away from her table when she'd grabbed my arm, 'He'll come back, you know. Your son. He will come back someday for what he left behind.' Now, as you can imagine, I was rather stunned. 'How do you know,' I asked her. She had laughed and said 'Because I know things,' and taken off the mask. The face I saw...was not an easy one to forget. I may not know much about the Force, but I know a Sith when I see one, and she was for certain. She was young, too, and beautiful; she looked exactly like you, Master Solo. 'Why are you telling me this,' I asked her. 'Because it amuses me,' she said. She put her mask back on, then, and I couldn't get any further information out of her. After that odd visit, I never saw her again. I tried to figure out what advantage there could have been for her to lie to me about the whole thing, but I could find nothing. I was forced to come to the conclusion that she had told me the truth, and fifteen years later, here you are. I do have one question, though; do you have any idea who she was, Master Solo?"

Ben heaved a heavy sigh and nodded, "Yes, I believe I know exactly who she was. She was my twin sister, Padme."

Urijah raised his eyebrows, "Huh. Well, if half of what I've heard about your sister is true, then I'd have to say that I was quite lucky that she was in a benevolent mood. Well, that's my story. Poe? I'm sorry I didn't try harder to reach you."

Poe shook his head and smiled, "No, father. You did the best you could; I'm the one who wouldn't answer your calls." He turned to watch his daughter, "You have to understand; after your mother died, I couldn't bare to come back. I thought I'd lost you and her all at once, and I couldn't bare to return to the place where it'd happened. If it weren't for the others' insistence that we come here and figure out what had really happened, and why she was killed, I would never have come back at all. I'm glad that I did."

For the first time since her appearance, Valerie spoke, "And did you find out why she was killed?"

Poe's eyes flooded with tears at the sound of his daughter's voice, "Yes. She was killed by a man named Salvor Bahr; it seems he knew I'd be a threat to him some time in the future, and had attempted to stop me from becoming the man I was meant to be. Ironically, in doing what he did, he set me on the path to becoming the man I am today."

Valerie nodded, "So, you weren't a Resistance Sympathizer?"

Poe chuckled, "At the time, no. I was only interested in providing for your mother and preparing for your arrival. I had no interest at all in the dealings of the universe. It was only after that I joined the Resistance. If I had known that you were still alive, I never would have left."

Finn spoke then, "Yes, Bond-Brother, but if you hadn't joined the Resistance, we would have never met, I would never have escaped the First Order, I would never have met Twila, and we would never have had the boys. So in the end, I suppose everything worked out exactly the way it was supposed to."

Valerie nodded, "I suppose so, Master No-Nerves. Yes, I know who you are. I've always been fascinated with all of you, so I kept an ear out for any news about you. I'm glad you've come, f...Father. I've heard so many stories about you from Grandfather; it's good to meet the real thing. Will you be staying long?"

Poe sighed and shook his head, "No, we have to leave before too much longer. We have business to see to, and then we'll be returning to Takodana. I teach the younglings there."

Urijah sighed heavily, "You'll be going with them, Valerie, and I won't hear any argument about it. You two have a lot to catch up on, and besides; you have a sister."

Valerie stared at Lilia, "He adopted me when my parents were killed during the war with the First Order. It's nice to meet you." Lilia stood and offered her hand to her new-found sister, who took it gladly.

"I never thought I'd have a sister. It's wonderful to meet you." Valerie said happily. Poe sat, staring at his daughters, amazed at his fortune. Things would be difficult, he knew, but they would be so very worth the risk.

***Author's Note***

Wheee! Oh, I've been looking forward to this chapter since I realized there was a way that his daughter could have survived! We'll be able to expect great things from Valerie, and how could we not, given who her father is!? Anyway, thanks for reading! Another chapter to come soon!


	21. Chapter 21

***Author's Note***

Good evening, my friends! Lots and lots of stuff in this chapter. I don't really want to go into anything...Might spoil something. Enjoy, all!

***End Note***

Lilia and Matthew stood together outside the cantina, watching the stars wink slowly into existence and listening to Poe and Urijah's low voices floating through the cool night air as they caught up on twenty years' worth of living. The twins seemed particularly fascinated by Urijah and sat listening to the two men talk. Every so often, their higher, more youthful voices would join the two older men, asking questions of uttering a quick laugh. Valerie, however, remained standing, leaning against a wall and watching the two men. She had not spoken to her father, or indeed anyone else, since being introduced to Lilia.

Matthew wound his arms gently around her; she sighed and leaned into his chest, "I just don't understand her. He's her _father_ , for pity's sake. Why won't she speak to him?"

Matthew chuckled, "Well, try to put yourself in her position. If your parents suddenly reappeared right now, after fifteen years of being raised by Poe, how would you react?"

Lilia opened her mouth to answer, but snapped it shut again, "I...I don't know. To be perfectly honest, I'd probably be struck a bit... _numb_ , really. I wouldn't know _how_ too feel, let alone what to say. I wouldn't even know them anymore, and they wouldn't know me. Huh. I guess I do understand. I've been a bit harsh, huh?"

Matthew smiled and nodded, "A bit, perhaps, but that's only natural." Lilia glanced up at him, confused. "You're jealous, of course. Not that I blame you, of course. She's probably terribly jealous of you, as well. You were raised by the father she's never known. I'm sure sh thinks that he never wanted her. Now that she's heard his side, though, I'm sure she's only more confused. I imagine she thought sh had all the answers, but now she's realizing that she never had any at all."

Lilia frowned and stared, "And when did _you_ get so wise?"

Luke chuckled from the doorway where he'd been leaning, listening quietly, "He learned it being my Padawan, of course. I know what you're going to say, Matthew, and don't. I'm not sorry to be losing you, not at all. I'll find another Padawan, no worries there. It's not like we're short on talent, after all. I'm actually considering young Anakin. He has proven himself to quite inventive, not to mention powerful. I think he is an excellent replacement for my eventual successor." Luke fell silent for a moment, his head cocked to one side like he did when he was listening to something in the distance, "Yes, he will do extremely well. In fact, he'll do better than you ever would have if you'd stayed a Jedi. Eventually, you would have fallen to the Dark Side, and dragged Lilia with you. It seems that young Finn was correct: Things worked out exactly as they were meant to." Matthew smiled and nodded, perfectly content for the first time in his life.

Inside, young Finn was sitting, casting surreptitious glances at Valerie. He'd never seen anyone so beautiful in his entire life. Her hair shone like flame, and he found himself enchanted. Glancing away for the hundredth time, he found Padme staring at him, a knowing smirk on her face. _I saw that_ , she thought at him.

He felt the flush cross his face and thought back, _Saw what? I was just looking._

'Me shot him that infuriatingly superior look she got on her face when she knew he was lying and he _knew_ she knew. _Right. Looking. Drooling is more like it. I wonder what Poe will say when he realizes you're smitten with his birth daughter?_

Finn flushed again, _No, don't you dare! Alright, yes. I think she's beautiful. But that's as far as it goes. I'm sure she doesn't think anything of me at all. I'm nothing more than a puny runt to her, I'm sure._

Padme rolled her eyes at him, _Oh, please. How do_ _ **you**_ _know what a woman – other than me – is thinking? Besides, you're only five years younger than her! Not to mention the fact that you are a mere step away from being a full Neutral Master. You're fifteen, and you've already got your "career," as it were, all lined up. How will you know if you don't try, Finn? I just want you to be happy, that's all._

Finn sighed, _I know, 'Me. It's just...I thought I'd be like Poe, you know? Never tied down to one woman. I never really_ _ **wanted**_ _anyone. I was plenty happy with our Bond, our friends, our family...I never needed anything else. Until I saw her, anyway._ Finn happened to glance back at Valerie again, to find her staring at him with her head cocked to the side curiously. Finn flushed again and looked quickly away, _Oh, crap. Now what do I do?_

Padme bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing, but she could not keep the warm chuckle from her thoughts, _You_ _ **talk**_ _to her, you imbecile. She's looking right at you, so obviously there's either something she wants to ask you, you've got something on your face other than, you know, your face, or she likes you. I'd wager on the last, since she blushed when you caught her staring._

Finn glared at his twin, _Need I remind you it's your face, too? Alright, alright. I'll see if she'll talk to me._ Finn stood and strode quietly to where Valerie was standing, "Hi," he said.

 _Hi?_ Came Padme's mocking thought, _Hi!? All the words in the Common Tongue, and all you can come up with it "hi"? Oi, you really are hopeless!_

Finn turned and glared at her, causing Padme to snort softly into the mug she was drinking from, earning an odd look from Poe and Urijah. Finn turned back and found himself staring down into Valerie's emerald-green eyes. His breath stole away from his lungs, and he thought he might drown in those green pools. Valerie smiled shyly, shuffling her feet, "Hi."

 _Oh, for goodness sake. You two are utterly ludicrous,_ came his sister's taunt again. Without turning, Finn growled, "Would you shut _up_!?" Valerie looked first affronted, then abruptly hurt. A flush spread across Finn's cheeks as he realized he had spoken out loud; Padme snorted into her mug again from behind him as he spoke quickly, "Oh, no, not you! I'm sorry, it's my twin. She won't stop talking."

At this, Valerie looked around him at Padme, "But...She hasn't moved. She's not even close enough to hear us talking. She's just...sitting there. Drinking her tea."

Finn smiled, "We're identical twin Force-Bonded Jedi...She doesn't _need_ to be anywhere near us to know what we're talking about. Isn't that right, 'Me?" From over his shoulder, Valerie saw Padme turn and glare at her twin before rolling her eyes.

Valerie raised an eyebrow, amusement glinting in her eyes. "Ah; I see. She doesn't look too happy, does she?"

Finn's eyes unfocused for a split second before snapping back to Valerie's, "No; I can tell you she certainly is _not_ pleased."

Valerie smiled again, but it fled from her face quickly. She fell silent again, glancing first at the table where her Father and Grandfather sat, then out the front door where Lilia, Matthew, and Luke stood, just out of view. She sighed before speaking hesitantly, "So...How...How long have you known my...father?"

Finn's eyebrows shot up for only a moment as he studied her carefully before answering, "Well, I suppose it's only natural for you to be curious. I grew up with your father as my 'Uncle'. I've known him my entire life; we have family dinners every Sunday, when Mom cooks dinner. She and Aunt Twila are great cooks. Dad, Uncle Finn, and Uncle Poe? Not so good cooks." Valerie giggled at his description. Finn grinned and continued, encouraged, "Let's see...Your father is definitely one of the craziest, bravest men that I've ever known. His courage is a different kind than my father's, though. I don't think there are many people that have my _father's_ type of courage."

Valerie cocked her head curiously, "Why do you say that?"  
Finn sighed, "Well, my father was a twin once, himself. She went bad, though; about as bad as a Jedi _can_ go. She helped the First Order get off the ground and took command; called herself Master Ren. In the end, my father had to kill his own twin, and they were Bonded just as tightly as 'Me and I are. If I lost her...it'd be like half of myself died. We are, essentially, the same person, just living in two bodies. We have almost identical personalities. My father was never the same after that. So, like I said: I don't think many people have that kind of courage."

Valerie shuddered, "I heard rumors about what happened on Kashyyk, but...I kind of always thought that's all they were. I'm so sorry for your father."

Finn shrugged, "It had to be done. He doesn't talk about her much, though, and we don't really mention her. My twin was named after her, actually. I was, obviously, named after No-Nerves over there."

Valerie nodded, "Makes sense; I mean, he was your mother's best friend, right?"

Finn chuckled, "Her only friend, actually. She'd never known kindness before Uncle Finn. And in an odd way, if he hadn't taught it to her, I wouldn't be here; she would have killed my father like most people thought she should."

Valerie fell silent again as she watched her father, but she spoke again, so quietly that Finn had to strain to hear her next question. "Finn...What kind of courage does my father have?"

Finn gathered his courage and laid a hand gently on her cheek, pulling her face around to look at him again. "Your father has the courage to fight beside Jedi, though he has no trace of Force-Ability, himself. He has followed Uncle Finn into the most impossible, dangerous situations imaginable, and walked out alive. He fought beside Togorians, and if you've never seen one, they're frightening at first. Your father is fearless, or at least he was before Lilia. He had the courage to take a little girl who'd lost her family and give her a new one, even though it was just him." Valerie's eyes welled with bitter tears, but Finn wiped those tears away, "Valerie...Your father never remarried. He never forgot you or your mother... _Never_. Lilia helped him heal, but the hole you and your mother left never filled until he saw you today. He's just as lost in this as you are. He loves you, though. That's another, quieter type of courage he has. He's been through so much pain, but still his heart has so much room for love in it. He's a teacher, you know. He teaches History of the Force at both the Jedi and Neutral Academies. He's as well-respected as Thamian over there, thought the difference in size frequently makes me laugh. You should give him a chance; Lilia, too, for that matter."

At the mention of her new-found sister, Valerie glanced out the door, "What's she like? I suppose you've known _her_ your whole life, too?"

Finn smiled, "Yeah, I have She's pretty incredible, too, you know. She's the weaponsmaster for the Neutral Order. She's also an expert in the two-handed style; she teaches that class at the Neutral Academy, actually. The light-sabers she carries belonged to her birth parents. The man she's outside with, Matthew? He was all set to be Uncle Luke's successor, but he's been in love with Lil since they were kids. We've all just been waiting for them to realize it. I'm glad he did before he was a normal Jedi for too long; it could have turned them both to the Dark Side. Lilia is brave like her father, but she's also reckless like him. She's got a lot of her parents in her, though. She's...complicated, I guess is the best way to describe her. She's always been like a sister to me, ever though I've already got four siblings. I feel like she, T'arla, and Jar'lek are all my siblings. You just have to get to know her. I think you'll really like her if you give her a chance."

Valerie watched Finn closely before responding, "Why _did_ he take her in? You'd think if he could take in a total stranger's child, he could have raised his own flesh-and-blood child..." Valerie's throat closed around the lump that had formed there, and she huffed out a watery sigh.

Finn hesitated, glancing over his shoulder at Padme. She had abandoned all pretense of inattention and turned towards them to watch with her own eyes, rather than through her brother's. Her eyes were serious and her mouth set in a grim line; she could sense Valerie's anger, hurt, betrayal, and near-hatred towards her father. Looking directly into Finn's eyes, she gave a single small nod. Finn set his jaw and nodded in return before turning back to Valerie, "I know you don't know him, but I _do_. If he'd had any suspicion, any thought _at all_ that you were alive, he'd have torn the galaxy apart to find you. There is _nothing_ that he wouldn't do for you. All this mistrust and anger is doing, though the feelings are justified, is depriving you of the father who loved you since before you were born. If you won't do it for him, do it for yourself. If you don't, all these emotions will fester and rot in your heart. I should know; my family kind of has a long history with stubborn pride, fear, and anger turning them to the Dark Side." He started ticking names off on his fingers, "Darth Vader, also known as my Great-Gradnfather Anakin, Uncle Luke strayed to the dark Side for a short – albeit _very_ short – time, my father, who was once known by the name Kylo Ren, my Aunt...see what I mean? It took us four generations, but we finally learned from our past mistakes." Finn rubbed Valerie's shoulders gently, "Take it from me; don't do that do yourself. It'll only cause you pain in the long run."

Valerie's mouth had opened in a small, surprised "o", and stayed that way while Finn had been speaking, "Finn... _How_ old are you?"

Finn flushed as he stared down into her eyes. Her diminutive stature suddenly struck him, then; she barely cleared his rib cage! Absurdly, the observation made his chest tighten and his breath catch. He had to clear his throat before he answered, "I'm fifteen; I'll be sixteen in a couple of months, though."

Rather than looking at him like a child, as Finn had expected, she seemed impressed, "Wow. Well, the, you've a very old soul. Thanks, Finn." She knew sh shouldn't do it, but she placed her hands on Finn's shoulder so she could reach up and kiss him on the cheek. She flushed the exact shade of her hair and hurried to the table where Poe and Urijah sat talking. They fell silent at her appearance and waited patiently while she shifted apprehensively from foot to foot, "Hi." She said lamely. Poe smiled and stood so he could pull a chair out for her.

Just then, Luke said quietly to Finn, "Well done, Finn," as he walked past.

As Valerie sat, Finn heard Padme's derisive, _"Hi" again!? Really!? What_ _ **is**_ _it with you two and starting off important conversations with hugely important people with "hi"? Ugh. You two really were made for each other._

Finn glared at his twin, _Oh, shut up. What the hell would_ _ **you**_ _say, miss oh-so-eloquent-that-she-never-speaks-and-just-lets-me-do-the-talking?_

Padme stood and walked over to him, snickering, _I don't know, but it sure as hell wouldn't be "hi."_

Finn cocked his head to the side as something she'd said struck him, _And what do you mean, we were "made for each other"?_

Padme rolled her eyes, _Ugh. Really? Come on, Finn. Seriously? You didn't feel that? Oh, you are so full of it. You know full well that you were_ _ **flirting**_ _with her! And she was flirting back!_

Finn sighed, _Oh, come off it, 'Me. She was just curious about her father, that's all. Beside; I'm six years younger than her; there's no way she'd be interested in me._

Padme stepped in front of her brother, aggravation written in her every line, _So what? Grandfather Anakin was only eight when he met Grandmother Padme! She was_ _ **ten**_ _years older than him! You and I know all too well what a Force-Bond feels like, and_ _ **that**_ _was it! One just formed between you two, and if you keep denying it, it'll tear you to shreds. Both of you._

Across the room at the table, Urijah, Poe, and Valerie sat watching the silent but intense exchange between the twins. "Are they...alright?" Whispered Urijah, "They seem...off."

Poe smiled, "Yeah; they're just fighting." At the astounded stares from the other two, he chuckled softly, "Oh, don't worry about it. They may be identical twins with a Force Bond so strong that the same bond drove their Aunt to madness and so gifted with the Force that they are sure to be the youngest Masters the Jedi have ever known, but at their center, they're still siblings. They're definitely old for their age, but they're still siblings. I've never known two people who can cause so much trouble, fight so heartily, but love each other so much at the end of the day. They'll argue it out silently, like they are now, and then it'll be done. Like it never happened. No worries." Valerie didn't look convinced, but she turned back to face her grandfather, and the three continued their conversation.

Meanwhile, Finn was staring at his twin, unsure what to say, _But..._

Padme was having none of it. _"_ _But" nothing. You know it, I know it. You and I were the first ones, except maybe Uncle Luke, to know about Lilia and Matthew, and that was when we were littles. Why won't you see it now, in yourself? I get that you're scared, and it came out of nowhere, but this is_ _ **it**_ _, Finn! I know you never wanted anyone. I know you were happy just being_ _ **us**_ _, like we have been: No outside interference in our relationship, and nobody knowing you as well as I do. That's not an option now. You've seen Poe and Uncle Finn; they know each others' every thought, even though Poe's not Gifted. He knows Twila's every thought, too; it passes through Uncle Finn, and into Poe. They adapted, and so will we. It won't change anything between us, brother. If anything, it'll bring us closer; make us better. Trust me, Finn. I won't let anything come between us, not even your soul mate. I love you and your stupid face too much, you idiot._

The emotions that passed over their bond with her words brought tears into Finn's eyes. He threw his arms around his twin, _Thanks, 'Me. I love you, too. But need I remind you_ _ **again**_ _that we share a face?_ Finn and Padme laughed out loud, threw an arm around each other, and headed for the door to walk in peace under the stars.

"See?" Said Poe, grinning like a Cheshire cat, "I told you they'd be fine. Don't worry about anything. I've seen so many of those silent arguments that I can't even _begin_ to count them. The first few times, it's a bit startling. Both of them get all blotchy and their eyes get unfocused; they always look like they're about to have some sort of fit. Their Bond is so tight that they _literally_ know every single thought that the other has, though the thoughts come and go so quickly that they learned to mostly just tune each other out, unless they have something really important they need the other to see, or if they're fighting. Then, the 'barriers', as it were, come down, and they pretty much share a mind. Ben and _his_ twin were the same way, from what I've heard."

Urijah shuddered, "I can't even imagine being _that_ close to someone. If what you say is true, how did Ben survive?"

Ben and Rey had just come into the room from the back, where they'd been enjoying a moment of peaceful solitude, so Ben answered for himself, "It wasn't easy, my friend. If it wasn't for my Light, here, then I would have been lost. I nearly was when I killed my Padme, but when she told me about our twins, I knew I'd have to make my peace with it. I will see her again, though, so it's really as if she went on a very long trip. They're much stronger than _my_ twin and I were, though. They're remarkable young people."

Urijah nodded, "Yes, I know. I was here when the fight broke out. I stayed well out of the way and watched. At the time, I couldn't understand how two people could move together so...seamlessly. I'd seen people fight together that had trained together for the majority of their lives, but this wasn't that. It was... _different_ , somehow. It was more than a little disconcerting. Now, I understand that it's due to the 'mind sharing' that you described, son." Urijah shook his head, "No; I can't imagine it. It'd be difficult enough in a _normal_ line of work, but how do they manage being Jedi? They must be constantly terrified of losing each other."

Ben shrugged, "No, not exactly. We never think like that, exactly. We all know it's a possibility that we'll die in the line of duty, but we've all made our peace with that by the time we become Masters. The breaking of a Bond is difficult, yes, but it _can_ be survived. You don't want to, at times, but you can. Those two most likely made their bargains and deals in case one of them dies years ago. Knowing them, it was probably when they first entered the Academy. I think now, though, it's actually sunk in. Since this whole mess started, they've matured so much that I can't believe they're the same people."

Just then, there was a feminine squeal and a cry of, "Damn you two!" Shortly thereafter, Finn and Padme came sprinting back inside, cackling madly, followed by a now-soaking-wet Lilia, brandishing her fist and yelling, "If I ever get my hands on you two, I swear I'll choke you to death!"

Finn turned so that he was running backwards (losing no speed or momentum) so that he could taunt her, "How will you manage that? What, will you use one hand for each of us? Hmm. Doesn't seem very well-thought-out. What do you think, 'Me?" Padme glanced back at Lilia and shook her head, grinning like a loon.

With a roar of rage, Lilia slid over a few tables, but the twins were already far ahead of her and leaped over a couple of tables, staying _just_ out of her reach. Chuckling, Poe called out, "What did you two do _this_ time?"

Finn laughed as he answered, "We pushed her and Matthew into a fountain while they were kissing!"

Ben groaned, Rey hid a smile, and the others openly laughed; Thamian's booming roar of a laugh echoed across the room from where he was leaning against a wall. "Well, so much for how much they've matured," Ben groaned.

Chuckling, Poe responded, "Oh, come on; you can't expect them to be serious all the time. They're still a couple of hellions; they're pranksters. It's just who they are, Ben. There was no harm in what they did... _unlike_ what they did on top of the mountain that day...Remember? Dang near killed Finn. I thought my heart was going to stop when I felt him go over." Poe shuddered, "No, they've definitely matured, Ben. They just enjoy a good laugh, that's all. Not everybody can be as serious as Luke all the time."

Luke, who had joined Poe, Urijah, and Valerie at their table, snorted in a most-undignified manner, "Hey; I've got a sense of humor, too."

Thamian, it seemed, had decided to join the main group, and made his way over to them, dodging the twins and Lilia at every turn. The spectacle only added to the amusement gained from the sheer bedlam. He laughed along with the fun as he worked his way to the table. As Thamian joined the rest, Valerie smiled. For the first time, she felt that she was a part of something larger than just herself and the cantina she had been raised in. For the first time, she felt she had a real family.

***Author's Note***

Ahhhh. Hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I did. I really like Finn Solo with Poe's daughter; didn't see that one coming, though, and it's _my_ story! hahaha. Well, anyway. Can't wait for the next chapter. Next story is definitely going to be a Thor/Sherlock crossover. Hope y'all will like that one, too. Thanks for reading!


	22. Chapter 22

***Author's Note***

Alrighty then; I know, I've been erratic with my posting lately. Sorry about that. I'm trying to get back to my old habits, but things are still hectic in Casa De Darkwind. Anywho...we've got some interesting interactions in this chapter...I'll let you find out on your own. Enjoy!

***End Note***

They spent a few days more with Poe's family, but all too soon, it was time to move on. Urijah accompanied them back to the large city where they had docked the _Falcon_ , Valerie in tow. After that first, understandably awkward day, Valerie had taken Finn's advice and decided that with or without her Grandfather's insistence, she would leave with her father. Now, as they stood at the foot of the _Falcon's_ loading ramp, the time had come at last for Urijah to part from his beloved granddaughter, "Well. We both know this day would come, whether your father came back, or you had gone searching for him. Even so, it still took me by surprise." Urijah let out a watery breath, "Learn from them, girl. There is much they can teach you. Get to know your father, _and_ your sister. Your life will be so much richer for it." Leaning in to give her a farewell hug, he whispered in her ear, "Young Finn is a good man; I am happy for you," before planting a kiss on her cheek. "Farewell, child. I look forward to hearing the stories that you will have to tell."

Valerie smiled at him with tears in her eyes, "And I look forward to telling them to you, Grandfather. I will do my best for these people. I can only hope that my sister and I get on well."

To her surprise, Urijah laughed, "Oh, I have no doubt that you won't, not at first, and certainly not _all_ the time." At Valerie's confused look, Urijah shrugged and simply said, "You're sisters."

Valerie smiled again and embraced her grandfather one last time before turning and nearly bumping into Hrii, who had stayed behind to serve as security, and to keep from terrifying the locals unnecessarily. Valerie's eyes popped wide and she gasped with a startled, "Oh!"

Hrii examined the girl for only a heartbeat before offering a feline grin and a furry, clawed hand, "Hello. Valerie, yes? I am Hrii; Togorian am I, and a Jedi Padawan as well. Poe's daughter you are, yes? A pleasure it is."

Valerie's shock began to fade in the presence of Hrii's pretty manners and genuinely sweet disposition. She smiled hesitantly and shook the offered hand, "Hello, Hrii. I apologize; I've never seen a Togorian before. Of course I've heard of your kind, but I was...unprepared."

Hrii thrummed deep in her chest, "All is well. My father gets full screams sometimes, and _he's_ the leader of our people! Our 'king', I suppose he would be. My brother is to follow him. I never wished it; too _public_ , I suppose. Better used are my skills...quietly."

Valerie chuckled, "Yeah, I think I know what you mean. So, out of curiosity...How old are you? Is your father as large as you are?"

Hrii tossed back her head and laughed, "Sorry; I know you have no knowledge of us, save hearsay. No, my father is much larger; He is nearly twelve feet tall. He is quite large for our kind, though; most of us are about nine or ten feet tall. As for my age...I am only seventeen."

Valerie blinked in surprise, "Wow. I knew your species was large, but...wow. I'm twenty two, and I'm pretty much as tall as I'm going to get. I'm only about five foot three, but you're seventeen and already at _least_ six feet tall! Makes me a little jealous." Valerie glanced up at Hrri curiously, "Did you say you're a Padawan? I didn't know your people _could_ become Jedi."

Hrii grinned at her new- found friend, "Nobody did. As far as anyone knows, I am the first of my kind to be accepted into the Academy. Honored have I been by this. Great honor and reputation will I bring to my father and our people."

Valerie nodded, "That's incredible. It must be a great burden for you sometimes, though."

Hrii gave Valerie an odd look, "Yes; at times. Are you certain that you are un-Gifted? Insightful you are, Valerie. Most interesting; very like your father, you seem to be."

Valerie frowned in thought, "Huh. You think so? Well, in that case, I look forward to getting to know him better."

Later that evening, they had gathered in the galley for a meal before taking off and shaking the dust of Adumar off their thrusters. Twila and Rey did the cooking, as usual, but this time there were a few more squeezed into the tiny galley than even Ben, who'd spent much of his childhood on the _Falcon_ , had ever seen. Chuckling at the thought, he stood and raised a goblet full of wine, "Well, this trip has born unexpected, but pleasant fruit. Welcome, Valerie, to our...unusual family." Scattered giggles met his greeting, "You will be welcomed wherever we happen to be for as long as you live. Never have I seen the _Falcon_ so full, or so alive. Although, to be honest...the only reason I've never seen it this way is because I didn't know we had some stowaways on the trip here..." Finn and Padme grinned unabashedly at their father, winking in unison, "I would be extremely interested to know _how_ you lot managed that, by the way. Anyway, I've never known this place to be so full of love as it is now. I am sure that there will be much we can all learn from each other, as has always been the case for our family. Now, however, we have business to attend to before we take to our beds. We are heading to Togoria; I received a message from my mother while we were in Braya. My mother has headed there to discuss military matters with Huur. We will meet them there and divulge the new information we have gleaned about Salvor while on this planet. I believe it is important for her to know what Salvor has done. It tells us that not only is unperturbed by ordering the torture of children, but he is equally unperturbed by...what he did to the village of Braya; he is unafraid to get his hands dirty. After that...I'm not sure _where_ we'll go. Wherever we go, we will find Salvor Bahr, and he will pay for his crimes." There were nods and murmurs of agreement around the table; Ben held up a hand for silence so he could continue, "Now, it'll be a few days before we reach Togoria, so I suggest you all take the time to rest and gather your strength, especially the youngest of our number: Leia, T'arla, and Jar'lek, that means you."

Leia chuckled, "Of course, Father...When do I ever not follow your wishes." She spoke so gently and with such sincerity that Ben's jaw dropped for a moment before the entire galley erupted into laughter. "Oh, wait; does hiding in plain sight, cloaking ourselves, tricking our chaperons, sneaking aboard the _Falcon_ , and following you to Braya when we had very clearly been ordered to return to Takodana count?" Thamian's distinctive laugh boomed louder than ever, rising over the ruckus and causing those closest to him to cover their ears, still laughing themselves.

Ben wiped tears of mirth from his eyes and sighed, "Oh, whatever happened to the little girl that used to ask me for permission to _wake up_ in the morning, let alone for permission to go off on a dangerous mission?"

Rey smiled and tugged on her husband's sleeve, prompting him to sit, "I think she stopped being a little girl the moment Salvor was unfortunate enough to capture her along with the rest of the younglings. His greatest misfortune, however, was trying to force her to do what she had no intention of doing."

Valerie had been listening to the familial exchange with great interest. When she heard that Leia had been among those children taken by Salvor, she paled somewhat and her eyes did not stray form the small girl, "Wait...Are you saying that _she_ was one of the children he ordered to be tortured?"

Leia returned the older woman's gaze without flinching, "Yes, I was. I helped to heal the others' wounds and keep them calm. It wasn't until they found out who I was and tried to harm my baby brother that I lost my composure. We forced our way out of our confinement then, and managed to break out of the compound altogether. Salvor learned that day that just because I am young, it does not mean that I am not dangerous when I need to be." The look in Leia's eyes was so serious, so grim, and so fierce, that Valerie felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up. She said nothing in reply; Valerie only nodded thoughtfully and sat back, still watching the girl.

Finn looked at the Solo children, curiosity alive in his eyes, "Okay, I _have_ to know...How _did_ you manage it!? I didn't think much of it at first; I was just happy to see the cavalry arrive, but after I thought about it for a while, I realized we never even _sensed_ you! How did you do it!?"

Luke cleared his throat, "Well, _I_ knew they were here. I might have helped...Only a little...They really did most of the work themselves."

Ben stared, open-mouthed, at his Uncle, "Seriously? Huh. May I ask why?"

Luke smiled and turned his empty eye sockets towards his only nephew, "Of course you may. I had a vision that they _must_ be there, or all would be lost. I knew that you would never allow it, so I kept an ear out for any plans they might make. My patience was well-rewarded; I overheard their plans, though they had no idea I was outside their door, and I resolved to help them in any way that I could."

Finn Solo raised an eyebrow, "Oh, is _that_ how you knew!? Huh. And here, I just thought you were some sage, all-knowing old man! Way to blow your own reputation out of the proverbial water!" Everyone laughed at Finn's taunting, but fell silent again as Finn and Padme exchanged one of their trademark silent conversations. After a long silence, Finn's attention returned to the others, "Well, if you really want to know...I guess there's no harm in it; you'd probably find out eventually, anyway. Besides, it might come in useful to the Order. Okay, well we didn't do all that much, really; we just came up with the plan. It was Leia and Anakin that came up with the _how_. T'arla and Jar'lek just came along for the ride." For the next hour, the children recounted their adventures since leaving Naboo. With every word, the adults in the room (save Luke and Thamian) grew more and more astonished at everything that four youths under the age of eighteen had managed to accomplish all on their own. Yes, they were Padawans, but this was extraordinary, even for Jedi children.

At last, Ben seemed to find his voice, "Huh," he said weakly, "Well. Here I thought Finn and Padme were troublemakers, but it turns out _all_ my children are! I suppose you're going to tell me that Han has been hiding in one of the escape pods all this time?"

Finn stared at his father, looking affronted at the suggestion, "No, of course not! He wanted to help, but we wouldn't let him. He's way too young."

Ben's jaw dropped as he stared at his son, "You're joking...Right?"

Finn shook his head, "No, I'm not; he was furious that we wouldn't let him come. I'd hate to see the temper fit that those poor Masters had to deal with when he was loaded onto that transport ship without us." Finn chuckled softly at the thought, "Poor little guy. I hope he's doing alright."

Ben shook his head, "Yes, I'm sure he's just fine. Probably furious that he's missing out on all the fun, but he's fine." Ben narrowed his eyes in thought, watching Leia and Anakin, "You two should teach others how to do these tricks of yours."

Leia smiled brightly, "Yes, that's what we were thinking, also. Not everyone has the potential, though. I don't think these special abilities are the same for everyone, either. There's just so much we don't know about it yet. I found out that I could cloak things and people by accident. I showed Anakin and tried to teach him, but instead of making disappear, he made an exact duplicate! We were surprised, but it was so fascinating that we didn't consider the why until recently. We've only just begun to explore what we can do, Father; it's not ready for teaching yet – not until we know everything there is to know about our own abilities."

Ben shook his head, "When am I going to start expecting the unexpected from my children? Your wisdom serves you well, my daughter. You will make a fine Jedi someday, whichever road you choose."

Leia smiled, "Actually...I was thinking that I would follow the Neutral path. I don't think I'm capable of shutting my emotions off like Anakin is. It'll be interesting, though: With our Bond the way it is, I wonder how we'll react to our different teachings when we have to work together?"

To everyone's surprise, it was the elder Finn that had the answer, "I used to wonder that about me and Poe; how was he going to cope, being Bonded to a Jedi when he had not even a _glimmer_ of Force Potential. The answer, of course, is that you'll cope the same way you always have. He has always been destined for the Jedi Order, and yet you get along just fine now. It won't change a thing. If anything, it'll make you understand each other better and draw you closer together. Of all the Padawans that have passed through my class, you are the one I have worried about the least, Leia. Ironically, the twins are the two I have worried about the _most_." The twins grinned hugely, chuckling, while T'arla and Jar'lek looked like they had swallowed lemons, "Don't you two get jealous, now. Of course I worry about you two; you're my sons. You two are just behind Finn and Padme in my worrying, but for _extremely_ different reasons."

The combination of the look on Finn's face and the sincerity in his voice struck the twins as being utterly hysterical, and both started laughing so hard that they fell promptly out of their seats, landing on top of each other with a pair of matched and completely undignified "oof"s. They stopped laughing for only a moment before each got a look at the others face, and they were off again. Before long, the rest of the children had joined in, as had Thamian, who was always ready for a good laugh.

Thamian wagged his bushy eyebrows at the children, "Just when I start thinking the twins have started to grow up, eh? Ach, well; it seems they will always be quick to laugh." The twins looked up at him from their spot on the floor, "And that's a good thing, young ones. There is entirely too much darkness and seriousness in this galaxy as it is; it could use your sense of humor. I'm older than anyone in this room, remember? I don't look it, but I'm even older than your Grandfather would be, if he'd lived. Never be anything other than what you are, any of you. Leia, keep being the sweet one, Finn, keep being the talker, Padme the quiet one, Anakin, keep being the mellow one; As for T'arla and Jar'lek...keep being unreadable and stubborn like your mother. You are perfect as you are, all of you. I think I speak for your parents when I say that we wouldn't change a single thing about any of you. Okay, maybe we'd lessen the twins' ability to cause chaos, but that's about it."

The twins burst into laughter again, pointing at Thamian and positively roaring with mirth. At last, Padme managed to gain enough breath to ask, "Seriously, though. How old _are_ you?"

Thamain's green eyes twinkled merrily from beneath his busy red eyebrows, "Oh...Old enough. I'm old enough to have seen more than you think, know more than you realize, and guess far more than I know."

Just then, the air in the room tingled and a ghostly chuckle echoed eerily, "Still speaking in riddles, old man?" Han's eyes crinkled as he laughed at his old friend, "Good luck getting an answer out of him, Padme. He was old when we worked together; I remember the first time I saw him. I was in the middle of a deal that had gone wrong."

Just then, every person in the room rolled their eyes simultaneously and said, "Since when is _that_ news?"

Han blinked in surprise as everyone had a good laugh at his expense, though perhaps the loudest was Thamian. "Alright, alright. I get the point. Anyway, I was in the middle of a deal that had gone bad," scattered snickers broke out, but Han staunchly ignored them, "and out of _nowhere_ , this giant of a man comes bursting into the room, his hair flying and swinging that damn sword of his; just about took my head off. I ducked in time, though, and he managed to pull my fat out of the fire."

Thamian chuckled at the memory, "Yeah, and it wasn't the last time, either."

Han smiled fondly at the man, "True. We did have some adventures of our own, back in our – or should I say _my_ – youth. After that first time, we ran into each other on a regular basis. After a while, his sheer mass stopped surprising me. In the beginning, though, it seemed like he got bigger every time I saw him!"

Thamian snorted, "Yeah, and it seemed like every time _I_ saw _you_ , you were in worse trouble than before!" Thamian and Han chuckled over their shared memories, but Thamian grew somber all too soon, "So. What are you doing here, old friend? And don't you tell me you're just here to say hello. I know you too well. Whenever there's trouble, you only show up when you have news. So; why are you here?"

Han raised an eyebrow at Thamian, "One of these day's you have to tell me how you know so much."

Thamian smiled and let out a long breath, "No, I don't."

Han watched the beast of a man for a moment before nodding slightly to himself, "Alright, then. You happen to be right. Things are... _interesting_. Salvor is gaining power, and the longer he has the Darksaber, the more power he will gain. He's already had it for fifteen years, so you can imagine how powerful he is already. He's gathering all of the First Order remnants to him in an attempt to re-form it. It's looking more and more like this was his plan right from the off. I'm beginning to think that he's been biding his time for all these years for just such an opportunity. If not the First Order, it would have been something else. That's the thing with the Dark Side: It _always_ comes back for another try."

Ben nodded, "It makes sense, Father. Where do you think he'll strike next?"

Han sighed, "I fear he'll strike at Togoria. He knows your mother is there, and that Huur is there. He's looking to make a statement. If he can strike down two of the most famed members of that last battle on Kashyyk, it will damage the New Republic terribly. This may be an excellent opportunity for you to stop him in his tracks. If you can hold him at Togoria, you will definitely gum up the works and slow his momentum."

Ben nodded, "That sounds like what we know of him; he will see the Togorians as the lesser threat in an open assault because they're not human. In his eyes, anything that's not human is a lesser being than him. He will wipe Togorians out of existence, if we allow it." Hrii hissed in rage and fear, and Ben took her hand, squeezing it reassuringly, "Don't worry, Hrii. We won't let that happen. This is the purpose of the Jedi: We stop things exactly like this from happening. It's alright."

Han set his mouth in a grim line, "I wish it were better news, son. I would rather have met Poe's daughter under happier circumstances, and speaking of...Hello, Valerie. I'm Han Solo." Han's eyes sparkled with mischief and amusement at the look on Valerie's face. She had paled, her eyes were bugged out, and her mouth hung open.

Ben bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing out loud, "Oh, Valerie; I'm sorry. My father's visits are so normal for us that we forget others might not be so nonchalant about it."

Valerie nodded numbly, "I...um...Okay. Wait a minute...Weren't you killed by Kylo Ren? So that means...You killed your own father...? But why would you..."

Ben sighed, "It's...complicated, Valerie."

Han groaned, "No, not really. His twin sister forced him to; she took over his mind and gave him no choice. Essentially, _she_ killed me, not Ben."

Valerie paled further, "She could do that? So, this man...Salvor Bahr...He killed my mother, and he has the same weapon that Ben's sister had...So, he must be terribly powerful."

Ben raised an eyebrow, "You're beginning to see our conundrum. If he was capable of such atrocities _before_ he had control of the Darksaber, imagine what he can do _now_. Thank you for the heads-up, Father. We'll head straight to Togoria." Han nodded as he faded from view. Poe hurried to the cockpit to see if he could coax any more speed out of the old ship, with Rey hard on his heels; he had never understood the _Falcon_ like she did. They all knew that when they reached Togoria, they would likely enter a battle to rival the Battle of Kashyyk.

***Author's Note***

I thought we'd have a little fun in this chapter, therefore the Han interactions! Hope you liked the back-and-forth between Han and Thamian; I had a few giggles, myself while writing this chapter. Anyway, thanks for reading, all! Leave a review, if you'd like; I love reading your thoughts on my writing. ^_^


	23. Chapter 23

***Author's Note***

Thought we'd start this chapter out with a sweet moment between Anakin and Leia; I realized I haven't really spent much time on those two, and I thought it'd be kind of nice. Anywho, lots of fun in this chapter!

***End Note***

It took a few days to reach Togoria, and the occupants of the _Falcon_ were content to spend those days resting. For much of the time, Leia and Anakin could be found cloistered together in some out-of-the-way little corner, heads together, whispering urgently together. One afternoon (at least, they _thought_ it was afternoon), Leia and Anakin were sitting quietly in a corner of the cargo bay, watching their oldest brother and Valerie run through some practice courses on the system that their Grandmother had installed as a gift to Master No-Nerves, while Padme sat close by, watching. Leia was quieter than usual, even around Anakin, and at last, he turned to look at her, "Are you going to tell me what's on your mind, or am I going to have to guess?"

Leia glanced at him from the corner of her eye, "So; Finn and Valerie. I suppose we should have seen that one coming, you and I. Still, I'm slightly surprised that it happened so quickly. I suppose when you're faced with the possibility of dying, suddenly you say things that you wouldn't normally. Perfect example being Lilia and Matthew; I still can't believe it took them most of their lives to figure _that_ one out. As for us...I think we've pretty much said all that we need to, don't you? There's nothing that will go unsaid between us, is there?"

Anakin cocked his head curiously at his sister, "No, I don't think so. What's brought this on?"

Leia sighed, "I just don't want any of us to lose one of our siblings and be haunted for the rest of our lives by what we never said, like Dad is with his twin."

Anakin nodded, "Ah, I see. Well, I don't think any of us has to worry about anything like that. Our situation is vastly different from Dad's. None of _us_ have gone to the Dark Side like Aunt Padme did. I don't think any of us will be haunted if one of us dies today."

Leia watched her brother closely for a moment, "Yeah, I suppose you're right. What about after, though? Have you thought about that?"

Anakin's eyebrows knit together, "After? You mean after we've dealt with Salvor? No, not really. Why?"

Leia smiled, "Well, _I_ have. I think I'll be joining the Neutral Order. You, though...I think you would do well as Uncle Luke's new Heir. Obviously, now that Lilia and Matthew have stopped lying to themselves, Matthew can't take over. I think you'd be marvelous at it."

Anakin shrugged, "Oh, I don't know. There are so many that have more experience, not to mention more _years_ to their names. I'm sure Uncle Luke will choose one of them."

Leia smirked, "If he were going to, don't you think he would have already? Why choose Matthew when he knew full well that Matthew was in love with Lilia? No, I think he's got his eye on you. You're wise enough, powerful enough, and besides; you've got Skywalker blood. No, I'm almost certain that you'll be taking over for him when all is said and done."

Anakin stared at her for a long beat, "Huh. You might be right. But...Why hasn't he approached me about it yet?" Leia said nothing, just _looked_ at him until a thought occurred to him, "Oh, right. You think he wanted me to come to the conclusion myself _before_ asking me."

Leia smiled, "Yes, and doesn't that just sound like him?" She leaned over, pillowing her head on her brother's shoulder, "I'm proud of you, you know. Father is, too. Mother as well, of course. I think I always knew you were destined for something more. Now, all that's left is for you to reach out and accept it when the time comes."

Anakin nodded, astounded once again by the insightful observations of the second youngest of the Solo children. "What about you, though? Why are you going into the Neutral Order? Why not the Jedi Order? You'd be more than welcome, and you would excel beyond anyone's imagination."

Leia smiled at her favorite brother, "I know, but I've had a vision. There's a man in my future. He will be tall and fair-haired with eyes like the sea. He'll go with me wherever I go, and I'll never be lonely. He will not be a Jedi, but still, we'll die in battle together at the end. The strange thing is that I'm not even bothered that I know how I'm going to die, because I know I'll be happy."

Anakin snorted, "Huh. That figures. It's kind of...nice." They sat in silence for some time longer, content to simply sit in the silence they had grown so comfortable with. Before long, though, their peace was disturbed by the beeping alarm that told them they had neared Togoria at last.

As the _Falcon_ entered Togoria's atmosphere, those aboard felt a thrill of fear, though they could not pin down the reason why. As they made their approach to the landing pad, they began to understand. For a moment, it seemed as though and enormous tar pit had suddenly appeared around Togoria's capitol city, but as their altitude dropped further, they saw that the city had, in fact, been surrounded by an army. Already, the city had been breached. The air was thick with Mosgoths, Togorian males on their backs. The moment the _Falcon_ landed, enemy troops surged onto the landing pad, surrounding the freighter. Glancing out a view-port, Ben hissed in a breath through his teeth. Watching the children closely, he said, "If you were anybody else's children, I'd tell you to stay put and out of trouble, but you're not. You six are the children of Jedi. So, instead, I'll say: Fight well and keep each other alive. We'll be heading straight for the throne room. If any of you start to fall behind, set up a barricade and hold them off as long as you can. When – not if, but _when_ – you get overrun, give yourselves a way to escape. That's only if you fall behind, though. If you don't, then be prepared: I don't know that any of you have been in a situation like this before. Naboo was just a taste of what you'll face here today. Valerie? I think you should stay close to Poe." Glancing towards the young woman, Ben was astounded to see a vibrosword at her hip and a pair of blasters in her hands. Ben cleared his throat and spoke again, "On second thought, perhaps you can look after yourself." Valerie nodded grimly and Ben continued, "Alright, then. Now is the time that we find what we are truly made of. Good luck, all of you."

Without another word spoken, all seventeen of the _Falcon's_ occupants made their way to the loading ramp. The group split into two, each taking shelter on one side or the other of the ramp's opening, save Ben. He stood alone at the top of the ramp as it lowered. For a moment, there was silence as the enemy took in the sight of Ben standing alone, his twin green light-sabers held defiantly in a "come-and-get-me" stance. The moment held for only a heartbeat until there was the strangest sensation of the oxygen being sucked out of the air before an immense explosion of pure Force energy was flung towards the troops that surrounded the _Falcon_ , blasting many of them to their knees, or off their feet altogether. The others quickly formed a wedge with Ben at its tip, while Poe and Valerie were the outermost points. Together, they let out one loud, bloodcurdling battle cry and surged down the ramp, smashing into the enemy line like a tide crashing against a levy. The line buckled and caved, the wedge cutting through like a hot knife through butter.

Glancing back for only a moment, Ben saw that his worries had been groundless. Everyone, right on down to the youngest child, was keeping up with the pace that he had set. Even Finn and Twila's young ones, T'arla and Jar'lek, had their faces scrunched in deep concentration, both clearly determined to do their part in protecting their friends. As they entered the hallways of the Togorian city, the wedge flattened out and split again, re-forming into two lines, with Poe and Valerie between them and facing opposite directions. In this manner, they worked their way up the hall, Poe picking targets in front and Valerie covering behind. Any who made it through Poe and Valerie's blaster fire was fair game for the others, who hacked and slashed their way through them as easily as a hand passes through smoke. The nearer they drew to the throne room, the heavier the enemy's resistance grew. At last they reached the room to find that it had been barricaded from the inside and was heavily under siege.

Upon seeing this, Hrii let out a feline roar of fury and flung out her right hand, which had clenched so that her claws were fully extended. Immediately, a large number of the attackers were flung aside. "Stay away from my Father," she growled viciously, a low rumble emanating from her chest in warning. A few were wise enough to take a few steps back from the furious Togorian. As if her species was not frightening enough when roused, Hrii was even more terrifying with her robes flying around her and her massive yellow, single-bladed saber-staff hissing and pulsing menacingly. Hrii's piercing blue eyes flashed dangerously as a few foolhardy troops fired at her, but she easily sent the bolts back at them with a flick of her wrist.

An evil chuckle came from behind the milling troops, and an aisle formed as the troops stepped back to allow a tall man in Knight garb to stride slowly towards her. "So, this is the daughter of Huur," came Gavin's voice. "Awww. Poor kitty cat. Are you upset?"

Hrii growled dangerously, but Ben and Rey stepped forward, "Your fight is with me, Gavin," Ben said softly and calmly, "Leave her alone." To Hrii, he thought, _Worry about your father. Rey and I can handle Gavin. Who knows what else may come for your father?_

Hrii glared at Ben for only a moment before nodding curtly and turning aside so that Ben and Rey could draw Gavin's attention. "Oh, how I admire the tight leash you keep on your little pets," Gavin taunted, "It's a shame The Darkness will sweep over this world and destroy any trace of them."

Ben chuckled, "You think they're our pets? Huh; you really don't know much about Togorians, do you? If you think _anyone_ could keep them as pets, you have a great deal still to learn, Gavin."

Gavin snorted, "I have little faith in their intelligence, or the intelligence of any non-sapien, for that matter." Here, he threw a nasty look at Twila and the boys, "But it seems that _you_ people frequently _bed_ the animals, so I don't know why I thought you'd be reasonable. They're only animals, Kylo Ren; no need to waste your pity on them. Animals die; it's the way of life."

Ben narrowed his eyes at his former Apprentice, "You truly are foolish, Gavin. There is so much you could learn from a species that is not your own. Life is so much richer once you turn from the Dark Side. Come with us, Gavin. We will help you."

Gavin froze in surprise for a split-second, then burst into laughter, "You think you can turn me!? You have less hope of that than of bringing the sister you murdered back from the grave. No, Kylo Ren. You have much to answer for, the greatest of which being the murder of Master Ren, not to mention consorting with these _animals_...No, Kylo Ren. You may have been my Master once, but no longer. I have no loyalty to you any longer. You and your little whore will die slowly.

Rey cast a calming thought towards her husband, "Your greatest error has always been and _will_ always be that you consistently underestimate those who you perceive to be less than yourself. You never _could_ learn that there is no one way that makes you greater than anyone else, no race or species that makes you more. Everyone is the same, Gavin. It is the way it _must_ be, or it becomes all too easy to commit atrocities such as the one you so casually discuss. That is why we will stop you, Gavin. As for the matter of Padme...That was a tragedy, yes, but it was one of her own making."

Gavin roared with rage, "You think your pretty words can sway me as they did my Master, harlot!? It is _you_ who has made a great error today, girl! Enough of this; I will end you both, here and now, for Master Ren and so The Darkness can spread across the galaxy!"

Ben and Rey sighed inwardly and set their jaws grimly, lighting their blades simultaneously so that green and violet light suddenly filled the hallway, battling with the light of Gavin's already-lit red blade. Without a sound, Gavin sprung forward, his blow easily met by Ben and Rey. Ben aimed a swift kick at Gavin's shin, but he easily danced out of the way, directly into the path of Rey's attack. He jerked back, flinging a hand out hurriedly to hit Rey in the gut with a Force-Blast. It wasn't well prepared, however, so it just rolled around Rey. Infuriated, he lunged again, swinging viciously at Rey. Ben charged, lunging at Gavin's stomach with the light-saber held in his right hand; when that blow was easily blocked, as had been the intention, Ben swung hard for Gavin's back with his left. Gavin realized his error only just in time and skittered back, though he wasn't quite fast enough. Ben's light-saber bit into Gavin's back, leaving a long, shallow gash from shoulder blade to shoulder blade. Gavin growled in response and blocked Ben's next three blows while parrying Rey's attacks. Ben and Rey swirled around Gavin like a deadly whirlwind; there was no mercy or hesitation in their attacks this time; both knew that there was no saving Gavin now. Gavin lunged at Rey's gut, only to be met with one of her violet blades, which pushed his own red blade away and lunged for an attack of its own, which was, in turn, easily blocked. Gavin twisted quickly and flicked his wrist up and out, sliding his blade along Rey's, up towards her arm. Continuing with his momentum, he brought the blade up the hilt of Rey's saber-staff and biting into Rey's left arm as he spun away, leaving a long gash along the back of her arm, beginning at her elbow and ending at her fingertips. Rey cried out in sudden pain and shifted to the side so that Ben could help her protect her weakened left side while she regained her center. The battle went back and forth for some time, neither side any better than the other. They were evenly matched, scoring wounds with equal speed. At last, the tide turned when Gavin struck out and slashed Ben viciously across the chest while flinging Rey into a wall so hard that she slid down it, dazed. Gavin reared back to administer the final blow, but Ben ducked under it and sank his blade to the hilt in Gavin's chest. Gavin tried to bring his blade up again, but Rey had recovered and lunged, hacking at Gavin's wrist and following the blow through to slice viciously at Gavin's gut, the blade sliding across his stomach; the tip of Rey's blade tore through his side, leaving a gaping hole where his rib cage had been.

Gavin shuddered once before his knees buckled. Ben and Rey quickly shut off their light-sabers, and Ben lunged to catch the man as he fell. Gavin reached towards Ben's face, though whether the gesture was one of seeking comfort or a threat, they did not know. His fingers trembled, inches from Ben's face, and fell away as Gavin drew one final breath and shuddered into death. Ben sighed, shaking his head, "Rest well, Gavin. I wish we had been able to save him."

Rey nodded as she rubbed Ben's back, "I know, my Love. Not everyone can or _wants_ to be saved. The waste of life and talent is sad, of course, but Gavin's fate was of his own making, as was Padme's." Ben nodded and leaned his forehead against hers for a moment before Rey took his face in her hands, tracing the scar there with her thumbs, in a gesture that had become such a comfort to both of them.

Glancing up, they saw Hrii at the doors of the throne room, shouting for her father. It seemed that while they had dealt with Gavin, the others had charged, clearing the way to the throne room. "Father," she cried, "Open the door; it's me!"

From beyond the doors, there came a great scuffling and many booms, followed by yowls of pain and Huur's voice booming, "Don't you tell me that's not my daughter! I know her voice!" The doors were suddenly flung open, revealing Huur, his fur singed in a few spots, and a couple of long gashes visible on his arms and legs. The most obvious, though, was the wound that went from his right cheekbone to his eyebrow, making him look even more fierce than he normally did. Behind him were half a dozen guards, all of them doubled over or flat on their backs, nursing the injuries they had accrued in their attempt to keep Huur still. The enormous Togorian lunged at his beloved daughter, catching her up in a bone-breaking hug, "Oh, my daughter. Its is pleased that I am to find you well. Worried have I been."

Hrii squeezed her father back, "I'm alright, Papa. We have had many adventures; I will speak on that later."

Huur nodded, watching as Ben hurried anxiously past him, searching the room for his mother, "You don't need to look like you've just lost your child at the market, son. I'm just fine; it'll take more than a surprise invasion to kill _me_. I'm just too mean to die." Ben laughed weakly and ran to the Chancellor, wrapping her in a tight hug.

Just then, there came a wicked chuckle from the door, "Oh, how sweet this is. I'd hoped to find you lot here."

Ben and the others spun around, staring at the interloper, "Hux." Ben spat out, "I should have known this was your little operation. Salvor isn't even here, is he? This whole attack was _your_ idea, wasn't it?"

Hux chuckled darkly, "Oh, you know me well. You didn't think I'd allow myself _or_ Phasma to fall into ruin, did you? Oh, no; we were sought out by Salvor shortly after the Fall. Unfortunately for you and your... _family_...You'll not live long enough to hear the story." Hux waved a hand and Phasma entered, followed by a contingent of troops and Knights, "Enjoy your final battle. Sadly, I cannot be here to watch it." With that, Hux spun on his heel and strode leisurely from the room.

Poe groaned from beside Ben, "Oh, this is just _not_ our day, is it?"

***Author's Note***

Hope you enjoyed! I should have more time to post now, so hopefully I'll be able to do so more regularly. Lots of love, and thanks for reading, as ever!


	24. Chapter 24

***Author's Note***

Good Morning, party people! Oh, boy, there's a lot more fighting in this one, but there are some sweet moments, too. Also, there may or may not be a wedding before too long...Hehe. You'll see. Hope you're enjoying the story. Anywho, read on, ear friends; read on!

***End Note****

As Phasma and her assigned troops filed into the room, Ben and Rey made to meet the new threat. Finn and Padme each caught one of their parents by the arm, "You two go after Hux. We've got this. There aren't all that many of them. We'll be fine." Ben looked closely at his son for a moment, then nodded. Taking Rey's hand, he sprinted out of the room, Rey right beside him. Finn and Padme exchanged one quick, bloodthirsty grin, each engaging their light-saber and twirling it simultaneously.

Phasma chuckled darkly, "So. It falls to a traitor, his breed-mare, a handful of children, half-breeds, and downright beasts to defeat me? I have little hope for you."

Finn and his twin smiled at her, "Little hope, huh?" Finn sneered, "Well, that's alright. There's plenty of hope right here. Uncle Finn, Aunt Twila; do you two mind if we take this one?" Finn and Twila grinned widely and shook their heads. Finn Solo cocked his head slightly, "Well, alright then."

The others spread out, taking on enemies they felt most comfortable with. Leia and Anakin were using their special talents to confuse four Knights. T'arla and Jar'lek were helping their parents route four more Knights. Poe and Valerie had decided to take on a large group of the troops, fighting with blaster and vibrosword, while Lilia, Matthew and Luke took on anything stupid enough to get in their way. Chewie and the Togorians, Hrii and Huur among them, made quite the spectacle as they tore through troops like they were paper dolls.

Phasma stood silently, watching Finn and Padme, and they stood watching her. As one, the three of them sank into defensive positions, Phasma drawing a pair of glistening vibroswords from her back. Without a word, the three of them began stalking in a wide circle, never taking their eyes off of the enemy. "Are you sure you brought enough men, Phasma? Doesn't look like they'll last much longer to me."

Phasma said nothing, but her hands twitched slightly on her swords. Finn was about to make a move when he heard, _Careful, brother. Here she comes._ Padme had warned him just in time. Faster than Finn thought possible for someone in so much armor, Phasma was right in front of them, and swinging for Finn's neck. Finn leaned back, barely avoiding her blade. Phasma twisted, bringing her elbow up into Finn's face, and the sword in her left hand came up, meeting Padme's light-saber. Phasma knelt and spun again, sweeping Padme's legs out from under her. "Children shouldn't play with weapons. They might get hurt," Phasma taunted them.

 _Okay, that's it. Don't hold back, sister._ Padme caught her brother's eye and nodded. Together, they charged at her, expecting Phasma's roll to the side. As she came up, Finn kicked her dead in the face, sending her sliding across the floor. The twins advanced on Phasma, their faces identical masks of calm determination while Phasma regained her feet. As one, Finn and Padme lunged, Finn striking low and Padme striking high. Phasma stumbled back, batting wildly at the twins' light-sabers and cursing under her breath. Finn caught Padme's thought and the pair smiled grimly. Suddenly, the twins changed tactics and sprinted past Phasma, ending up behind her. As Phasma turned to meet them, seeming confused, Padme lunged to that she and Phasma were face-to-face. Spinning on the spot, Padme brought her light-saber up quickly, catching Phasma's helmet with the tip of her light-saber and leaving a large gash across the visor. Phasma growled angrily from behind her now-useless helmet and shoved it off of her head. As it fell with a clang, Finn and Padme stared in shock at the beautiful face that was revealed. She wore her hair cropped boyishly short, and she'd obviously never worn makeup a day in her life, but her stunning blue eyes captivated the twins for a moment before a wolfish grin altered the face entirely, warning them a fraction of a second before Phasma lunged again, her vibrosword barely skimming Padme's face, leaving a long, shallow cut from the left side of Padme's jawline to the hairline on her forehead, missing her left eye by centimeters.

Finn and Padme growled in unison and redoubled their attack. Their blades became a blur, and they moved as one entity. Phasma's eyes narrowed in concentration as the twins' attacks became faster and more accurate. Again and again, the twins' attacks were met by one of Phasma's blades, but she was growing more and more desperate as the twins' skill only seemed to increase. As the fight went on, Phasma began to grow tired, and the twins knew it. All at once, Finn managed to slip through Phasma's defense and score a wound on Phasma's left shoulder while Padme brought up her left hand, sending a powerful Force Blast directly at Phasma's chest. Phasma was lifted off of her feet and thrown like a rag doll into the far wall. She slid down the wall and collapsed in a heap on the floor, not moving. _Careful, 'Me. I don't believe for a second that she's dead._ Padme nodded grimly, keeping her eyes on her brother. The entire room went still as they approached Phasma's prone form; the others had finished off Phasma's contingent and stood watching. As the twins neared Phasma, she suddenly sprung up, slashing Finn across the chest. He fell to his knees, clutching his chest in pain while both Padme and Valerie cried out. Padme turned back to Phasma, rage in her eyes and a low growl in her throat. Padme blocked Phasma's next two attacks, batting her vibroswords away so that Padme had an opening. She took it, without hesitation, her light-saber sliding easily through Phasma's armor and between her ribs. As Padme withdrew her blade, Phasma stared in shock at the hole in her middle. "Hux," she whispered, "But you promised..." Phasma fell to the ground as the light left her eyes.

Padme turned and rushed back to her twin as a pool of Phasma's blood began to seep across the floor. Padme gently lifted Finn, propping him up against her chest as Valerie hurried over, distress on her face. Padme took one of Valerie's hands in her own and softly said, "He'll be fine. It's not as bad as it looks."

Valerie's head snapped up in surprise; she'd never heard Padme speak before. As tears welled in her eyes, Valerie tremulously asked, "How can you be sure?"

Padme smiled gently at her, "I know because if her were dying, I would be in extreme pain; it would most likely kill me, as well, if Finn died."

Valerie looked unconvinced for a moment, but Padme's quiet demeanor and clam assurances won her over, "Okay, so why is he just laying there? Is he unconscious?"

Padme nodded, "Yes, but not for much longer. He'll be coming out of it in any time now. It seems that the pain _I_ felt when he was injured rebounded across our Bond, doubling the pain _he_ felt. The sensation overwhelmed his mind and he lost consciousness. It's really nothing to worry about. Although, knowing him, he'll make it more and more _spectacular_ as the years go on."

Valerie giggled slightly, "Yes, that does sound somewhat like him, doesn't it? Well, I suppose if you're sure that he'll be alright..."

Padme chuckled, "Valerie, if I thought he was going to be anything other than alright, I'd be frantic. I don't think I could survive, even if the pain of his death _didn't_ kill me. It's the thought of the day-to-day without him. No, I don't think I'd survive." Padme finished quietly, her eyes distant and sad.

Valerie sat watching Padme in silence, "I think I'm beginning to understand you two. If I'm being perfectly honest, your close relationship freaked me out a bit at first. Now, though, I'm beginning to see it wasn't what I thought."

Padme raised a sardonic eyebrow, "Let me guess. You thought there was something romantic between us, right?" The humor in Padme's eyes softened the bite of her statement, "It's not the first time someone thought that. No, we have nothing romantic between us; in fact, the very thought makes me nauseous. We have been so close for our entire lives that being apart is unthinkable for us. You, in particular, need to understand this. There will never be a time when I am not near to my brother. Even should he marry, we will share a home. Of course, we won't share a room anymore; I'm not _that_ needy. Should he marry, I will give him space, of course. But you still need to understand."

Valerie gave Padme a curious glance, "I think I'm beginning to, but why is it so important for me to understand?"

Padme gave Valerie a look that was equal parts sarcasm, bafflement, and irritation. "Oh, come now. You're not going to sit there and tell me you haven't felt it? I saw your face, and I felt my brother's reaction. The both of you know full well what is happening between you." Valerie continued to look confused, though a flush had begun to spread across her cheeks. Padme rolled her eyes, "Oh, man, you two really are suited for each other, aren't you? You're equally dense, at the very least. You two are falling rapidly for each other, and everybody knows it. Most of the people in this room know how a Force-Bond feels. Luke has one with his twin, Uncle Finn has a double Bond; one with Aunt Twila, the other with your father. Mom and Dad have one, Leia and Anakin have one, and Finn and I have one. Oh, and Lilia and Matthew. Almost forgot them. The point is, I know what a Force Bond feels like, and I felt one form between you and my brother the moment you met. It's almost like an audible _snap_ when one forms. You stop living just for yourself and start living for whoever it is you've bonded with. Sometimes it's a love connection immediately, sometimes the love takes a while, like it did with my parents. Others, it's more of a sibling-type Bond, like it is with Uncle Finn and your father. Either way, it becomes the most important thing in your life. It's a beautiful thing, and you should be glad to have one."

Valerie smiled shakily, "I _did_ feel something when I met your brother, but I thought there was no way it could happen so quickly. Then I saw him get hurt, and I felt a fear that I've never experienced before. You're sure he feels the same way?"

Padme smiled and nodded, "We share our thoughts without even _meaning_ to most of the time. Yeah, I'm sure."

Valerie flushed deeply, "And you're okay with it, even though I'm so much older than him?" Padme rolled her eyes and nodded, "Thank you. It means a lot for that to come from you. I just wish he'd wake up soon."

Padme's eyes unfocused for a second, "Actually, he's been awake for a while now. He's really just playing it up at this point." As if to prove her point, Padme's hand shot out, quick as a viper, and smacked Finn on the top of his head.

"Hey, ow! Critically wounded over here; what the heck!?"

Padme snorted and rolled her eyes, "Critically wounded? Oh, please. Your ribs aren't showing through the wound, you're not missing limbs, you're not laying in a puddle of your own blood. _Critically wounded_. Hah! This here is nothing compared to some of the things Mom and Dad have been through. Or Uncle Finn and Aunt Twila. Or Uncle Luke. Or Poe, even! Oh, and that's not even _mentioning_ Great-Grandfather!" Padme cocked her head to the side, thinking for a moment as her eyes sparkled with wicked amusement, "Huh. Even little Leia has had worse."

Finn groaned loudly, "Alright, alright! I think we all get it! Pretty much everyone we know has had worse! Geez. I think I like you better when you just let me do the talking!" Padme grinned hugely as her twin struggled into a proper sitting position and Valerie giggled in surprise at Padme's wheedling.

Poe spoke up then, "Alright, you three. Finn says something's up; he and Twila already took off. He said your father wants the rest of us to stay here and protect Huur."

Finn nodded, "Okay, Master Dameron. 'Me and I will stick close to Huur."

Padme helped her twin to his feet and the pair made their way over to Huur, but were stopped by his guards, "Sorry are we, but no Masters are the two of you. A danger would it be, allowing our Master to be protected by children."

Finn and Padme's eyebrows seemed to vanish into their hairlines in disbelief. Padme nudged at Finn's shoulder and nodded towards the guard. Finn nodded back and spoke, "Danger? I'm sorry, were you watching just now? Did you see what we did? How can you possibly think that we could or _would_ do any less for Huur than we did for each other just now? Not to mention the fact that if we were to be attacked right now, _Padme and I_ would probably be even bigger targets than Huur! He might be an old friend, but we are the children of Ben and Rey _Solo_. That usually paints a pretty big target on our backs. So how can you think that _he_ is any less safe being protected by us!?" Padme laid a gentle hand on her brother's shoulder, calming him instantly, _Enough, brother. I think you're starting to scare him._ Sure enough, the enormous Togorian was staring at Finn as though he were a Sith.

Huur's rumbling laugh echoed through the chamber, "Relax, Thraar. He won't burn your fur off." Huur made his way through the guards and turned to face the one who had voiced an objection, "With my daughter's life do I trust these two. Already, they have handled a very great deal, for so few years. If assigned by their Master to my protection are they, then you will allow it. If anything like their parents they are, then truly I am safe."

Thraar bowed, "As you command."

Finn and Padme exchanged a small smirk and fell in beside Huur, their faces settling into identical masks of serious concentration and alertness. Leia hustled over to tend to her brother's chest, "Sorry I didn't come sooner. There are a _lot_ of injuries. I'll have to take a look at the Togorians, too. It might take me a little longer with them, though. I'm not very familiar with their physiology."

Finn rubbed a hand through his youngest sister's hair, "Don't worry about it. I'm fine, really."

Just then, the sound of many running feet came from the hallway, causing Poe to shout, "Here they come! We need to barricade the doors." As he ran for the nearest bit of furniture, Finn and Padme glanced at each other and nodded. They held their hands out, and immediately the doors slammed shut and every bit of furniture in the chamber flew towards the door, including the few bits that had been too heavy even for the Togorians to lift. The furniture piled itself in front of the door, effectively barricading it. Poe blinked for a heartbeat and said in a slightly awed tone, "Well, that's one way to do it, I guess."

***Author's Note***

Told you there were some sweet moments in this one. I almost feel sorry for Phasma, though. Ah, well. So, we've got _maybe_ eleven chapters left, then I'll be taking a break from the Star Wars genre for a while. Eventually, I think I'll be putting up a Hux/Phasma story that takes place between _For The Girl_ / _Brotherly Bond_ and _The Darksaber Resurfaces_ , but that's only in the maybe stages right now. After this story is done, I'll be writing a Sherlock/Thor crossover titled _An Intriguing Case_ , and after that one I'm going to write an Avatar story. Yes, I know. Avatar's been out for _quite_ a while, but I just watched it again and it gave me some ideas, so...Yeah. I don't have a title for that one yet, and I'm not even sure about the plot just yet, so we'll see what happens with it. So, lots of fun stuff coming up; I'm hoping to utilize the three day weekend to wrap up _Darksaber_ , or at least _nearly_ wrap it up. I'm looking forward to the end of this story, though; I'm going to end it on a very happy note, so no worries there. Thanks, as always, for reading, and I hope you like it enough to leave a review. Lots of love!


	25. Chapter 25

***Author's Note***

Hello, everyone! So, instead of using the three day weekend to catch up on my writing, I wound up sleeping! Ugh. i just _cannot_ catch a break lately! hahaha. Anyway, we start out pretty heavy in this chapter, but bring the tissues. There are some _massive_ feels coming in this chapter! Remember that tease I dropped the other day...yeah, it might be coming sooner than you realized. Hehe. I won't say any more than that; you'll have to find out for yourselves. With no further ado, enjoy this chapter, my dears!

***End Note***

Ben and Rey hurried down the hallway after Hux. They could hear his hurrying footsteps just around the next bend, so they put on a bit more speed. As they hurtled around the corner, Hux raced through a door and onto a balcony. Ben shouted, "Stop, Hux! It's over for you," as he and Rey followed Hux onto the balcony.

Slowly, Hux turned to face his former ally, "Perhaps, but Salvor _will_ have his revenge. He will win this, you know. There is no stopping him. There is nowhere for you to hide, nowhere for you to run. You tell me this is over? You couldn't be more correct. It _is_ over, and you are the ones who have lost."

Ben shook his head, "How do you figure that? We've routed him and his men at every turn so far. We've even survived the traps he's laid for us, so how can you say that we've lost?"

Hux laughed, a glimmer of madness in his beady eyes, "You have lost because you will never win this fight. Our Master has discovered the secret to immortality. He has an eternity to carry out his plans. My Master will wash this galaxy clean of the filth that inhabits it, and we will start over in his glorious new Empire. I have been chosen to be one of the new race that my Master will build. His power is beyond your understanding, and it will overwhelm you. Phasma and I will begin this new race for our Master. He is wise, far wiser than you and your precious Jedi Order. Even now, Phasma is surely putting an end to your little brats. There is no hope for you; why can't you see that? Go ahead, then. Kill me. You want us all dead, so kill me."

Ben cocked his head to the side for a moment, listening. "You're wrong, Hux. Come quietly, now. I have no intention to kill you today. Phasma is gone, Hux. She's dead." Shock flitted across Hux's face, followed by suspicion.

"You're lying. You think that if I'm alone, I'll come with you." Hux pressed a finger to the comlink on his collar, "Phasma, report...Phasma, come in. Phasma... _PHASMA_!" Grief rolled across Hux's face as the truth struck him.

Ben took a slow step towards him, "Come on, Hux. Just come with us, and I promise that you will be treated fairly."

Hux laughed madly, "Come with you? You think me such a fool? No, I won't come with you." Hux took a step backwards, then another. "I will tell you this, though. My Master wants you to come to him and finish this."

Ben held out a hand, "Okay. We'll go to him, just come towards me, okay? Where does he want to meet us?"

Hux grinned, "You know where, Kylo Ren. He wants you to go back to where all this started." He took another step backwards.

Ben's brow furrowed, "Where this all began? Well, that would be Naboo, wouldn't it?"

Hux nodded, "The irony is that you were so very close to him before. If you had only stayed on Naboo, this would have ended far sooner. Sadly, we will not meet again after today." Hux stepped back again.

Ben shook his head, "We will, Hux. I have no plans to die today."

Hux laughed, "Perhaps not, but I wasn't talking about _you_. Goodbye, Kylo Ren." Hux turned and sprinted the last few steps to the balcony railing and vaulted over it.

Ben rushed to the railing just in time to see Hux hurtle to the ground, only to be impaled on the sharp points of a wrought-iron fence. Hux stayed there, his blood dripping onto the pavement below him and leaving a red stain that would never leave Ben's memory. He sighed and turned back to Rey just as Finn and Twila hurried onto the balcony, "It's over. Hux made his choice."

Finn stared at Ben, confused, "Where is he?"

Ben sighed again, "He jumped. I wasn't fast enough to stop him. I think it was when he realized that Phasma was gone that he decided to jump, rather than go on without her. I didn't realize it before, but I think he may have genuinely loved her. What a waste. I am growing very weary of all this waste, all this death, all this war. Is there ever to be any real, lasting peace?"

Rey wrapped her arms around her beloved, "There will be some day, my love. But first, we have Salvor to deal with. Before he jumped, Hux told us that Salvor wants us to return to Naboo to meet with him. He wants to finish this."

Just then, he heard Padme's thoughts, _Father, what's going on? We were under attack, but then everything just...stopped._

Ben raised an eyebrow and responded, _I'm thinking that with Hux's death, the assault was ended. Check outside of the door, and tell me what you see._

Ben sensed his daughter's acquiescence and then nothing for a moment, then shock. _Father...they...they're all dead. It's like they just dropped where they were. What exactly are we facing here?_

Ben straightened in surprise, _Huh. It seems that Salvor somehow knew when Hux died, and killed what remained of his troops to keep any of them from being captured and talking about whatever plans he has. We'll be back in a moment, just stay where you are._

Ben, Rey, Finn, and Twila made their way back tot he throne room, finding gruesome evidence of Ben's theory on the way. All over the Togorian city, scores of troops were scattered about, seeming to have died where they stood with no explanation. From the brief glances he was getting of the fresh corpses, Ben could find no immediately obvious cause of death. Growing more concerned with every step, Ben and the other hurried on. As they sped around the final bend, the four of them skidded to a halt, astonished by what they saw. Scattered around the doors to the throne room were dozens of soldiers, each laying sprawled as though he were nothing more than a mechanical doll that suddenly lost power. Ben felt a thrill of fear as he heard Twila whisper, "How could he have done this? It seems too much for one man, no matter _how_ powerful he is."

Young Leia stuck her head out of the door, "I think I may have an answer for you, actually. Make your way over here, please." The four Masters did as she asked, finding that Leia had brought a number of corpses into the room and was currently examining them. Leia stopped beside on of her "patients" and began to explain her theory, "So, the first and most irritatingly obvious answer I have for you is that they were definitely killed by use of the Force. Having made that determination, I immediately checked for signs of broken necks, but I found nothing. Normally, I've found that a Dark Force-User's preferred method of killing is to simply snap the neck or to choke their victims to death, but both methods would leave bruising on the neck and throat. I found no such bruises, and of course had it been Force-Lightning, the corpses would still be smoking. Being an inherently stubborn human being, I was not willing to let it go, so I looked into less obvious methods, and _that_ is when I found something _fascinating_ – and disturbing." Leia reached forward and prized the corpse's eye open; it was completely bloodshot.

Ben stared blankly at the eye, "Okay, so he had really dry eyes . How does that prove anything?"

Leia ginned at her father, Well, I thought the same thing, so I brought in other subjects from different locations in the hallway, and _every single one_ is the same."

Ben's eyebrows winged up, "Well that is...unusual. Highly unlikely that they all had severely dry eyes."

Leia nodded as though she were a teacher who was particularly proud of a student's progress, "Exactly so. That got me thinking: If they were all killed suddenly, and in the _exact same way_ , how could one do that?" Leia prized the eye open again, "Now, look more closely, Father. Do you see that slight pooling of blood in the rear of the eye?" Ben nodded, fascinated, and Leia continued, "That is the sign of ruptured blood vessels in the eye caused by sudden, extreme pressure. I wondered what could possible have done that, then I saw _this_ ," Leia pointed to a slightly bulged vein at the dead man's temple and another on his forehead, as well as a slight amount of blood pooled in his nose, "Now, these were so slight that I didn't notice them before, but they are _massively_ telling. Anybody want to take a guess?" By now, the entire room had gone silent and even the Togorians looked on, entranced by the diminutive girl's deductions. Many shrugged or shook their heads, so Leia went on, "Well, singularly, none of these things means anything at all, _unless you put them together_. Once you do that, it becomes apparent that they each died as the result of a massive subdural hematoma!" Leia finished excitedly, only to be met with blank stares. She groaned and rolled her eyes, "Oh, for goodness' sake! They were killed by a haemorrhage!"

Still there was no sudden understanding, and Ben cleared his throat, "Um, dear? None of us here are Healing prodigies who are studying advanced medicine at the age of nine. Could you please put it in dumb people language?"

Leia sighed, "You mean layman's terms?"

Ben smiled, "Yeah, that'll do."  
Leia stared at her father for a moment, then shrugged and rolled her eyes again, "A haemorrhage is when there is bleeding in the brain. This is caused by the rupturing of one or more blood vessels in the brain. Now, many haemorrhages are minor, and the victim can and does survive, but in _this_ case, it seems that a few particular blood vessels were chosen and either collapsed or ruptured intentionally. Now, I wasn't sure at first – I didn't _want_ to be sure – until I peered through the Force, and I found the proof I needed; there are three main blood vessels in the frontal lobe each brain that were ruptured simultaneously."

The silence grew thicker at the end of Leia's explanation until Rey whispered, "How could he have the strength to do this? It seems that it would take far more energy that he had to..."

But Leia was already shaking her head, "One might think that, if they allow themselves to be overwhelmed by the sheer numbers, but in truth, killing one man in this way takes no more energy than to crush a grape between your fingers."

Rey's jaw dropped, "So, to kill all these men...It would take...what?"

Leia crossed her arms and spread her feet, thinking before she responded, "Well, it might take around the energy you would need to sprint for a mile or two, but not much more than that. You'd be tired after, sure, but it wouldn't drain you entirely. It's do-able, frighteningly enough."

Twila spoke with a trembling voice, "If he can do _this_ with so little effort, then we _must_ stop him. We cannot allow another tragedy like the genocide of my people that occurred during the war with the First Order."

"I couldn't agree more, Master Doroturo," came the Chancellor's voice from the doorway.  
" _Mother_!" Ben cried, rushing to her and flinging his arms around her and breathing an audible sigh of relief, "When we didn't find you in here with Huur, I feared the worst for a moment until I realized I could still sense you."

Leia chuckled and leaned into her son's shoulder, "Don't worry, son. I won't be leaving you for quite some time yet. I'm too ornery to die. I've been in the Council Chambers. I was busy arguing with those fluff-brains when the attack started. I have enough Force training to have sensed it when it started, and I know a full-scale invasion when I see one, well, _sense_ one, in this case. I told them to shut up and barricade the doors if they wanted to live. It was comical for a second; they just stared at me for a while until they figured out that I wasn't messing around."

Ben squeezed his mother again, "Well, I'm glad, personally. If something had happened to you..."

Leia laid a gentle hand on her son's cybernetic arm, "If something had happened to me, you would have gone on as you always have. Well, you may have been a _bit_ more determined to stop Salvor, but that's all. And besides, I will die eventually; I'm not immortal, you know." As Ben frowned at his mother, the Chancellor took a good look around, raising an eyebrow at her youngest granddaughter, "You, my dear, are made of far sterner stuff than many adults I know. But then, not may of the adults I know began taking an interest in the art of Healing at the age of four! You are a most extraordinary young lady. My question is this: Does he have to be familiar with any one person in particular, or can he do this to anyone?"

Young Leia thought for a moment, "Anyone, I should think, but he would require great concentration. So, he wouldn't be able to do it during, say, a duel or full-scale attack...Now, if he wanted to affect the _mind_ rather than the physical _brain_ , a familiarity with that person's mind is preferable, though still not necessary with the average person. Memory, personality, obedience, and so on are far more difficult to affect than, say a bone, and therefore take far mor concentration and energy. This is also why one is able to refuse or 'shake off' Force Persuasion."

The Chancellor's brow furrowed, "I see. I was afraid of that." She nodded to her son and together, they huddled in a circle with Rey, Finn, and Twila as they discussed various possibilities.

While they debated, Matthew and Lilia stood closely together, talking quietly, "There have been many near-misses of late, haven't there?"

Lilia nodded, her blue eyes bright with worry, "Salvor is so unpredictable; any moment could be our last."

Matthew stared down at her, consideration in his eyes. He bit his lip nervously as he said, "Well marry me, then."

Lilia nearly choked, "Sorry, _what_!?"

Matthew smiled as he turned towards her and took her hands in his own, "Marry me," he said a little louder, "Here. Now, before one more thing happens that may or may not kill us." Lilia's hands flew to her mouth in shock. "I have loved you since we were children, and I was fool enough not to mention it until it was nearly too late. I flatly _refuse_ to do so again. So I will ask you again," Matthew sank to one knee, "Lilia Dameron, will you be my wife?"

Lilia felt tears rushing down her cheeks, and she didn't care. She thought this day would never come; she had always feared that she would have to learn to do without her Matthew for the rest of her life. Through her tears, she gasped, "Of _course_ I'll marry you!" The entire room burst into cheers and applause; it seemed that everyone, even Huur's guards, had stopped whatever they were doing to watch Matthew's proposal.

Off in the corner, Ben nudged Poe, earning himself a surly, "Oh, shut up, Ben." Ben didn't pay his old friend any mind and wrapped a congratulatory arm around Poe's shoulders, laughing merrily. "I suppose next you're going to tell me Valerie and Finn are in love..." Poe started to laugh at his own joke, but caught the wary look in Ben's eye for a split second before it vanished behind humor. Poe's mouth fell open, "Oh, come _on_! What is it with these crazy kids!?" Ben bent double, clutching his stomach and laughing uproariously.

"You mean...you didn't...notice!?" Ben gasped out between bursts of laughter, "It's so... _obvious_!"

Poe glared at Ben before staring at his newly-regained daughter, who was standing beside Finn and watching the merriment. She was leaning subconsciously towards him, and he towards her; their fingertips were a hair's breadth away from each other. Poe's jaw snapped shut and his eyes bugged at what he saw, "Oh, hell," he said quietly, feeling all at once incredibly put-upon and light-headed, "Why both of them? Why all at once?"

Ben snorted loudly and laughed even harder, "I know what you mean," he said as he wiped his eyes, taking gasping breaths to quiet the laughter, "Finn is due to be married any day; well, as soon as he becomes a Master, I'm sure, and Leia had a vision the other night of the man _she_ is to marry and _die beside_. So in all seriousness, I know exactly how you feel. I never have to worry about Anakin, though; he's due to be announced as Luke's new protege any day now. Han, though...I don't think there will ever be a day I don't worry about that boy. I wish he were older so he could be here, under my watch. On the other hand, I'm glad he's too young to really understand what's happening here."

"You're sending the littles back to Takodana, aren't you?" Poe murmured quietly.

Ben sighed heavily, "Yes. We can't take the risk. Outright fighting is one thing – _that_ they've been trained for – but we can't take the risk that Salvor will harm the children to distract us and take us down more easily. It breaks my heart, but they'll be safer back home. Of course, we can't do anything about Matthew, Lilia, Valerie, or the twins; they're far too old. Besides, if we tried, they'd just find a way to follow us again."

Poe nodded, "I know, buddy. It's tough, but it has to be done. I think they'll understand, though. They've seen far more than enough for their age. Leia and Anakin will be fine, I'm sure, but T'arla and Jar'lek...I don't know. Those two are just so quiet all the time, it's hard to know when something is bothering them. I suppose if Finn or Twila were worried we'd know about it, though. They'll fight much better once those two are safe, I'm sure."

Ben nodded, "Sometimes I forget how wise you can be, Poe. You hide it behind so much noise and blather that it gets lost. Then you open that big mouth of yours and say something incredibly insightful and surprisingly helpful. Thanks, Poe."

Poe glared at Ben, trying not to laugh, "Gee. Thanks for the left-handed compliment. Who needs enemies when I've got friends like you?"

Ben laughed loudly, "I'm sorry; it was too easy to pass up. Seriously, though; sometimes I forget how far we've all come. You and I tried to kill each other the first time we met...Actually so did Rey and I...But then that just goes to show how much we've all grown. It baffles the mind a bit, doesn't it?"

Poe watched Ben for a moment, "Yeah, we have. Mind, sometimes I still want to kill you..." Ben and Poe snorted, laughing as they watched their children milling about. Poe took a deep breath and let it out on a long sigh, "I worry about Valerie and Lilia, though. Do you think they'll ever really be sisters?"

Ben gave Poe a serious look, "Poe, you really should have learned by now that if it is meant to be, it will be. The will of the Force is strong, old friend. I'm sure it will take some time, but eventually, they'll be as inseparable as true sisters. You worry too much."

Poe smiled, "Thanks, buddy." There was a moment of silence and then a fearful, "Who's going to plan the wedding?"

Rey and Twila laughed from behind them, "Oh, look at our boys," Rey mocked gently, "Terrified by the mere thought of wedding planning. Don't you two worry your pretty little heads about anything. We'll take care of everything."

Just then, Lilia and Matthew joined them, shuffling her feet awkwardly just as her father always did, "I hope you're not upset, Father."

For some reason that Poe did not comprehend, his eyes chose _that_ moment to tear up. He wiped impatiently at them, "Of course not, girl. If he makes you happy, then that's all that matters. I suppose if I'm being honest, I knew this was coming from the first time you two saw each other. I'm happy for you, really I am. I just hoped I'd have you to myself a little longer before it happened, I guess." Poe wrapped his adoptive daughter in his arms as tightly as he could, "It's too soon to let you go," he whispered into her hair.

Lilia pulled back slightly, "You're not losing me, Daddy. You could never lose me. I'll be right here, just a little further away now."

Poe nodded, "I know, sweetheart, but you won't be _mine_ anymore." Glancing up at Matthew, Poe dried his eyes on his sleeve, "You take care of my little girl, Master Shellac. She's one of the most precious things in my life."

Matthew straightened proudly, "I will, Master Dameron."

As the pair walked off with Twila and Rey, Poe caught sight of Valerie standing alone, staring after Lilia with a burning jealousy that was perilously near to rage. He sighed and came up quietly behind her, waiting until he knew she had noticed him, "You are precious to me as well, you know."

Valerie spun and stared at him, shock on her face, "How? How can I be precious to you when you don't even _know_ me!?"

Her hands shook with a rage that Poe was certain she must have been containing for her entire life as he took her hands in his own, "Of course I know you, Daughter. You twirl your hair around your finger and chew on your lip when you're thinking. You stare at me, and at young Finn, when you think no one is looking. You find all this Force stuff nearly impossible to believe, or at least you _would_ if you hadn't seen it for yourself. You have a fearful temper that cows even the most strident warrior, but you also have a keen wit and a sharp tongue. Your eyes twinkle when you laugh, and your heart races at the thought of adventure. You fight with the abandon and skill of a Jedi, though without their advantages. You have a courage that I have rarely seen, and you are unafraid to take the chances _you_ want to take."

Valerie's rage had evaporated like snow exposed to fire and tears welled in her eyes, "How...How could you know all that?"

Poe smiled and swallowed hard around the lump in his throat, "Because you are so like your mother in some ways. Mostly, though, you are _exactly_ like me." Valerie's tears spilled over then ad she threw her arms around her father, surprising an _oomf_ out of him. Poe recovered quickly, though, and squeezed as tightly as he could, unwilling to let go. "I have always loved you, my daughter, and I couldn't be more proud of the woman you've become. The only regret I have is that I was not there to witness it."

Valerie drew back with a watery laugh, "Well, you're here now, Father and I am _never_ losing you again."

***Author's Note***

*sniff sniff* Phew; told you there were massive feels coming. Oh, boy, was this chapter interesting to write. Hope it was just as fun/interesting to read as it was to write, though. So, tomorrow I should be able to somewhat catch up on my writing. I'm starting to wonder if this story isn't closer to being done than I realized, though. We'll see, I suppose. Either way, once this story is done, I won't be able to post nearly as often as I normally do, as I will be starting work on my first original novel. I haven't got a title for it yet, but I will. I'll be spending the majority of my free time working on _that_ , but I'll probably post a chapter or two during the weekends for _An Intriguing Case_. I'm quite looking forward to that one; I'm ready for a break from _Star Wars_ for a while...*shivers*...Never thought I'd hear myself say _that_. Okay, well... _write_ that. Either way, there's bound to be loads of good fun coming your way, my dears! Thanks for reading as always, and I hope you'll see fit to leave reviews. ^_^


	26. Chapter 26

***Author's Note***

Good Afternoon, everyone! I hope you're ready, because there's a wedding next chapter! I am absolutely in _love_ with this chapter. Pretty much this one focuses on the developing relationship between Valerie and Lilia; up until now, they've pretty much been avoiding each other, but no longer! Oh, this is a real tear-jerking chapter here. Hope you like it!

***End Note***

Lilia sat staring into an enormous gold-framed mirror, two female Togorians chattering and laughing in their own odd, guttural, barking language, while they played with putting her hair up this way and that. Lilia sighed; they had been playing with her hair for hours. She was nearly certain that the sun _hadn't_ been up when they'd started _._ First they had put it up in weird buns with ribbons trailing down either side of her back, but she had shivered in horror at that one. They have tried braiding ribbons into her hair and leaving it in one long braid down her back, but they hadn't been satisfied with that, either. Now, they seemed to be trying to make a bird's nest on top of her head with yet _more_ ribbon. _What is it with cats and ribbons?_ Lilia thought grumpily. At last, she asked them, "What is it that's so baffling about my hair," as the door behind her opened quietly.

The pair giggled as they answered with thick accents, "Different for us; no hair. Only _manes_." The pair burst into hysterical giggles; the most charitable thought Lilia could spare them was that they must be very young.

Someone cleared their throat delicately from behind Lilia, causing all three of them to turn. Valerie stood, looking slightly awkward as she spoke, "Pardon me, ladies; I thought perhaps I might offer my services. I am fairly skilled with human wedding hairstyles. I often helped brides-to-be with their hair in the village I grew up in. Perhaps there is something you'd rather be doing...?" The two Togorians sighed in relief and bowed their way out of the room, "There, isn't that better?"

Lilia raised an eyebrow at her, "You come here just to do that, didn't you?"

Valerie colored prettily, "Well, I thought they might be just a little confused with _hair_ , as they mostly just have fur. Anyway, I really would like to do your hair, if that's alright. I know we haven't exactly had much of a chance to just sit and talk, given that we haven't had five minutes alone together. I thought this might give us that opportunity. I'm sorry if I was overly-presumptuous."

Lilia reached around and took hold of Valerie's hand, "Thank you. I was afraid I'd get married with a bird's nest on top of my head!"

Valerie giggled, "I know; I was afraid they might scalp you by accident." The pair giggled together for a moment while Valerie unwound the ribbons from Lilia's hair. Next, she grabbed up a silver-handled brush and ran it gently through Lilia's hair, "You have the most beautiful hair. There's so _much_ of it!"

Lilia smiled, "Thanks; your hair is lovely, too; it seems to have caught Finn's eye, anyway..."

Valerie smacked her sister on the shoulder, "Oh, now not you, too! Okay, yes. Maybe there is... _something_ there, but it's not like we're going to run off and get married tomorrow."

Lilia snorted, "No, he'll wait until he's a Master...Which will be any day now."

Valerie frowned, "You really think so?"

"Honey, I've known Finn nearly all of my life. When there's something he wants, he doesn't waste any time. He's seen enough of the hard side of life to know that waiting is foolish, especially when you're in _his_ line of work. He knows that he could die any moment, given that he's a Jedi, and if his parents have taught him anything, it's to hold on to what makes you happy. His parents have lost plenty; for a while the only thing they had was each other, and he took the lesson to heart. He's young, sure, but he knows love when he sees it."

Valerie flushed again, "Well, I'm glad to have your approval. I'm sorry I've been a bit standoffish; I've been terribly jealous of you. I'm sure you already knew that, given that you're a Jedi yourself, but I still thought it was important to acknowledge it, out loud. Father and I had a long talk yesterday after you and Matthew left, and I think we've really started getting to know each other. He's a very good man, isn't he?"

Lilia smiled, "He's one of the best, and I'm not just saying that because he raised me. He and Uncle Finn are...well, they're unusual people, but they are also very brave. I know people have told you that before, but let me explain to you how they met..." For the next hour, the sisters talked and laughed over family stories and such while Valerie worked on Lilia's hair. Valerie had turned her towards the door so she could not see what was being done to her hair, but it _felt_ wonderful. Unlike the Togorians (though they had done their best) Valerie did not tug and pull at Lilia's hair. Instead, it felt like she was being given a wonderful scalp massage. Slowly, the weight on top of her head increased, but not to the point that it became uncomfortable. Once Valerie was satisfied with her sister's hair, she pulled out a box of paints and rouges, drawing a wary glance from Lilia, which was promptly brushed off with a roll of Valerie's eyes and a chuckle. Feeling rather like some sort of overgrown doll, Lilia allowed her sister to paint, pluck, brush, and line her face as she saw fit.

At last, when Lilia could no longer stand the curiosity, Valerie turned her chair around with a shy, "What do you think?" Lilia's jaw fell open and worked soundlessly. Valerie's face fell, "You don't like it? Oh, I'll start over..."

Lilia stood and flung her arms around Valerie, "Oh, no don't you dare! It's beautiful, thank you. I never knew I could look like _that_."

Valerie gave a watery chuckle and snatched up a cloth, "Oh, now no blubbering; you'll destroy my handiwork. I'm just glad you gave me such a wonderful starting place. You should see some of the _trolls_ I had to work with at home!" The pair snorted and laughed loudly in shock at Valerie's words, "Oh, that was a terrible thing to say!"

Lilia responded, "Yes, but it was probably true!" The two giggled again as Lilia took in her reflection again. Her hair had been left elegantly simple. It had been drawn gently back from her face; most of it was left loose, but at regular one-inch intervals from the back of her skull all the way to two inches above the ends of her hair, small, delicate braids had been brought around from either side of her head to be bound gently around the main bulk of her hair and holding it in place, like delicate vines wrapping around a tree trunk. Intertwined with the delicate braids, impossibly thin strands of ribbon had been woven through, making it look as though delicate veins of silver ran through her hair. The ends of the delicate braids were somehow hidden by the next braid, and so on until the final set of braids, which had been left loose so that the ribbons flowed to the very ends of her hair, which hung nearly to her bum. There was a single, delicate, silver flower that had been placed above Lilia's right ear that had been fastened in place with the same delicate ribbon that was in her braids. For her makeup, Valerie had taken Lilia's existing attributes and _heightened_ them, somehow. Her already-piercing blue eyes seemed twice their normal size and bluer than ever. Her wide mouth looked impossibly plump and ready for a smile to make it curve at any moment. Her eyelashes seemed longer, and her eyebrows had been elegantly shaped. "Is...is that really me?" She whispered in disbelief.

Valerie beamed, tears in her eyes, "It really is. Oh, Lil, you look so beautiful."

Lilia turned in surprise at the nickname, "'Lil', huh? I like it. So, this is what it's like to have a sister? I like it."

Valerie's tears spilled over, "Me, too. I'm glad I listened to Finn. He said you were wonderful and I should give you a chance; he was right."

Lilia smiled and grabbed at a cloth to dry Valerie's tears, "Okay, I know people are supposed to cry at weddings, but I think we're being a little ridiculous." Valerie chuckled weakly as she dried her eyes, "That's much better. Now; would you like to help me into a dress? There aren't many to choose from, but what there is was brought in for me; they're in that little room over there." Valerie nodded and the girls walked through the door, hand-in-hand, as though they had known they were sisters for their entire lives. As they entered the small room Lilia had indicated, and found that "not much to choose from" was an understatement. There was a grand total of ten dresses hanging from a rack on the far wall, and four floor-length mirrors set up in a square in the middle of the room.

"Huh," was all Valerie could think to say. "Well, my Grandfather told me something once: Never turn your nose up at humble beginnings. I suppose this is a perfect example. Let's see what they gave us to work with, huh?" The two hurried over to the dresses, giggling like a pair of schoolchildren as they gushed over the train on this dress, the plunging neckline of that dress, the full skirt over there, and so on. They were having so much fun trying on the dresses that they didn't even notice when Rey and Twila entered the room and stood in the doorway, just watching quietly. They had tried on the sublime and the ridiculous; one dress was all chiffon and lace with a train that seemed a mile long – gorgeous and ethereal, but not at all Lilia's style. The mos ludicrous of all the dresses had a full hoop skirt that Valerie swore stood out three feet from Lilia's waist and sickening fluorescent lime-green flowers the size of dinner plates around the waist with – Powers save us – a matching headdress. _That_ one made the girls laugh so hard that they both collapsed in a heap of fabric on the floor, laughing maniacally until they couldn't breathe.

Finally, they had worked their way through the entire rack, save for one. Valerie took a deep breath and squeezed Lilia's hands, "Don't you worry. If this one's no good, I'll fiddle with what we have and figure something out. It doesn't have to be _exactly_ one of these dresses...I could always alter one...or a few...of these. Let's get you into this one first, though." Lilia nodded nervously as her sister unlaced the back of the dress so she could step into it. She closed her eyes while it was slid into place and laced up. Lilia heard her sister's gasp and braced herself for the worst. "Lil...You look stunning."

Lillia's eyes flew open and she couldn't believe her eyes. The dress was simple but elegant and fit _perfectly_ with the simple elegance of her hair and makeup. The dress was a soft eggshell white that fell to the floor is a full tulip skirt and made her pale skin glow. It had a high, scalloped neck that bared just a bit of her throat and had delicate, elegant silver swirls sewn into the fabric. The sleeves were full-length as well that clung tightly to her arms but flared out at the back of her wrists, leaving her hands free with a kind of half-bell sleeve. The bodice clung to Lilia's curves and the swirl pattern continued around her waist, so slight that you really had to _look_ to see it. Finally, Valerie slid a pair of eggshell-white slippers onto her sister's feet and declared, "There. You're ready."

From the doorway, Rey and Twila could no longer stay silent, "Oh, Lilia; you look beautiful. We are _so_ proud of you," whispered Twila.

Rey stepped forward, "Here; I brought you something old and blue, since you already have something borrowed. I wore this when I married Ben." Rey reached carefully around Lilia's waist and wound a delicate blue cord around her hips, tying them it at the front so that the cord hung down her front.

Twila smiled with tears in her eyes, "Here; I had this made for you earlier this year; I thought you might need it." Lilia bent her head so that Twila could reach up and place a simple silver circlet on her head, "I didn't think you'd want anything terribly elaborate, so I thought I'd get you something that could be played up a bit if you wanted to.

Valerie stood back and examined her sister from every angle, "Perfect. That's just the touch we needed. I love it; the blue in the cord goes with her eyes."

Lilia turned to her "Aunts" with a lump in her throat, "Thank you both. I can't..." Lilia's throat closed and the tears finally spilled over.

"DON'T DO _THAT_!" Shouted Valerie, causing Lilia, Rey, and Twila to jump, "You'll ruin your makeup," Valerie finished with such an innocent look on her face when the others turned to glare at her that all four of them burst into hysterical laughter again.  
"Okay...Alright...Okay...We need to stop or they're going to think we don't take this marriage business seriously." Chuckled Rey.

Twila nodded in agreement, "We set everything to start early in the evening so that the sun will be setting _just_ as you say your vows. We don't have long until everything gets started; I hope you like what we did. Well, to be honest, we didn't do _much_. You and Matthew will be married under the very same trees that Finn and _I_ were married under," Twila finished dreamily, "Oh, ignore me; I tend to get all sappy with weddings."

Rey rolled her eyes, "Twila, you get sappy at _birthdays_. I think you'll like it. I _hope_ you'll like it, anyway. Well, none of _men_ were going to plan this wedding, and I sure as heck wasn't going to let the Chancellor do it! She did _my_ wedding, which was lovely, but _so_ elaborate." Rey sighed and gazed into the distance for a moment, "Sorry, now I'm doing it. We'll leave you two to your finishing touches; we'll wait outside for you."

Valerie seated her sister back in front of the mirror and touched up her makeup where tears and dress hilarity had smudged it. "There," she muttered, "All better. Let's get you out there, huh?"

Lilia nodded, but as they turned around, she paused, "I think that might be for you."

Valerie glanced in the direction her sister was gazing and stopped; hanging from a hook in the wall was a gorgeous emerald green dress the _exact_ shade of her eyes. "How did they..."

Lilia giggled, "After so many years, I've stopped asking. Here, I'll help you get into it; do you want to do anything with your hair?" The girls worked Valerie into the beautiful dress; it clung to Valerie's every curve like a second skin, stopping just below the knee with mile-high matching heels to go with it and twisted her hair up into a quick braid that matched Lilia's, but without the ribbons. "Well," Lilia began thoughtfully, "I _do_ need a bridesmaid. You up for the job?"

Valerie gasped and flung her arms around her sister's neck, "Oh, I'd love to!" Together, the pair headed happily for the doors, arm-in-arm. Valerie paused at a table beside the door and picked up a bouquet of flowers that matched the silver one in Lilia's hair that had been tied with a matching silver ribbon, "Here; I thought you might want these." Lilia smiled and took them, "You ready?" Valerie asked. Lilia nodded and the pair walked confidently out the door, ready for the wedding at last.

***Author's Note***

Phew, oh, man was I choked up the whole time I wrote this chapter! I'm hoping to get at least one more chapter up today, but we'll see. I can definitely see the end of this one, though; it's very close. Next chapter will be the wedding between Lilia and Matthew, then we'll be back to serious. I may or may not need the full 35 chapters, I don't know yet. I'm really hoping y'all like the direction this story took; I had no idea where it was going until oh, look, here we are! I love when stories do that to me. It's so much more fun than everything going according to plan. Anyway, I've got to get going on the next chapter. Thanks for reading!


	27. Chapter 27

***Author's Note***

Good Morning, all! I hope you enjoyed that last chapter; we have a little more happiness, then more serious, but the story will be ending on a happy note, no worries! Hope you enjoy the chapter; it is a bit shorter, but...Hopefully still a good one. Enjoy!

***End Note***

Rey and Twila led Valerie and Lilia down the halls of the Togorian city and out into the jungle. Suddenly, they entered the grove where Matthew was waiting and they walked into a pool of soft, golden light that gave everything an ethereal glow and mixed with the setting sun to make a truly unique shade of light. Flowering vines had been hung so perfectly that there was no way they were natural, and they put out a fragrance that was heady and intoxicating, and orange lanterns had been hung that let off a soft, subtle light. Matthew stood on a simple wooden platform that was only raised enough so that the attendees could all see the happy couple, and a couple of basins had been placed in stands that were overflowing with more of the beautiful silvery flowers. A pathway had been constructed of the same wood so that no one would turn an ankle in the soft grass on the way to the platform. Matthew stood in brand-new Neutral Order robes, his hair loose as always. Lilia saw the exact moment that he caught sight of her; her heart skipped a few dozen beats and he looked like someone had wiped every though from his mind as she came into sight.

Time slowed to a crawl as she made her way slowly to the man she had loved for so many years. A slight breeze blew through the clearing, dislodging a few blossoms as she walked under a tree, sending them fluttering around her. At last, she reached the platform and took her beloved's hands in her own. Huur stood behind them, his blue eyes glittering with emotion, "It is this night that we join together for the swearing of these two in holy matrimony. As the leader of this race, it was decided to be only appropriate for me do the marrying. That, and we were afraid Luke's old bones might be cracking if the standing were for him to do." The crowd chuckled at the jest, "Truly, though; these two have I known since their youth. Certain was I when first I saw them together that the day of their wedding would come. If no objections are voiced, then we will proceed."

Perhaps it was Huur's intimidating presence, perhaps it was Thamian's intimidating bulk that was easily seen from Matthew's side of the platform, but not only were there no objections – many people seemed to shift uncomfortably in their seats until the moment passed. Both Matthew and Lilia noticed this. _They look like they're sitting on pincushions,_ Lilia thought at Matthew.

He bit his lip, trying not to laugh, _I wonder, are we_ _ **that**_ _odd a couple, or are Huur and Thamian just making them uncomfortable?_

Lilia had to work at not laughing out loud, _That is entirely possible_ , she thought back.

Just then, Matthew took her left hand in his right and began to speak but not before he thought, _It's a good thing_ _ **one**_ _of us is paying attention..._ "Lilia, I have known you since I was a child, and very far from home. From the moment I met you, you have made me feel as though there is nothing that I cannot do, so long as you stand beside me. I remember when we met, I thought you were some sort of ghost; I had never seen anyone so pale in my life. I realized (much to my chagrin) that you were not, in fact, a ghost when your father came running over to see why you were crying. If I recall correctly, I knocked you over in my haste to get away from you. Every day since then, I have blessed my lucky stars that you _were_ flesh and blood, rather than the corporeal being I first mistook you for. Every moment of every day has been made better by your very presence, and I shall strive to make _your_ days the best that they can possibly be until the end of my days." As Matthew finished, he slipped a delicate silver ring onto Lilia's hand and bent to kiss it.

Blushing, Lilia took Matthew's left hand and paused; she had no idea what she was going to say, but she starting speaking anyway, "Matthew, I knew I loved you from the first moment I saw you. I had always thought that we would follow the same path, but then your path strayed from mine. For many years, I thought that I had been mistaken thinking that you felt the way I did, and that I would have to live out my life without you. One morning, I remember my father said to me, 'Sometimes, people don't realize what they have, even if it is blatantly obvious to everyone else.' I remember I gave him the oddest look and asked him why that was. He shrugged and summed it up perfectly saying, 'People can be monumentally _stupid_ sometimes.' I laughed, probably because I didn't understand then what he was trying to tell me. Somehow it seems terribly appropriate for us that neither of us was willing to tell the other how we felt until death seemed imminent. We are two of the most stubborn people I have ever heard of, and we can certainly be monumentally stupid, but I think I understand now what it was that my father was trying to tell me that day. He was saying that yes, people are stubborn and pigheaded and sometimes incredibly dim-witted, but the right one is always worth waiting for. You, Matthew Shellac, are the only man that I have ever or _will_ ever love, and I would gladly have waited another lifetime for you if it had been necessary. Every day of my life is made fuller and given more purpose with you by my side. I will love you to my dying day, and beyond." Lilia slid the ring onto Matthew's finger, and breathed the heady, perfumed air deeply, joy blossoming in her heart.

Huur's eyes twinkled as he laid a massive, furry hand on each of their shoulders, saying softly, "Then man and wife do I pronounce you...What are you waiting for, dunderhead? _Kiss her_." The crowd roared with laughter as Matthew mimed a swing at the enormous Togorian leader and proceeded to do as he had commanded. The glade exploded into cheers and no few jeers from Finn and Padme.

The reception was small bu boisterous; it consisted of the party that had arrived on Togoria, plus Huur, the Chancellor, and a handful of other Togorians who were friendly with those involved. There was more food than they could have eaten in a week, though they did give it their best effort. The twins, in particular, seemed determined to clear every tray of food. The celebration carried on well into the night and into the early morning hours. Leia and Anakin had fallen asleep somewhere around midnight, and the twins had carried them carefully to bed before rejoining the party. The sun was beginning to peek over the trees when at last they called an end to the festivities.

The next morning, Ben and Rey were the first to wake. The pair stood on their balcony, watching birds take off and land in the treetops. Here and there, the birds would dive-bomb each other and then wheel away, shrieking loudly. It was actually quite comical; the birds reminded Rey of a child irritating its older sibling. They stood in silence for some time, Ben with his arms around Rey's waist from behind, and her leaning into his chest. Ben leaned his chin onto the top of Rey's head and sighed. Rey echoed the sigh before she spoke, "I know. We have to do it, and soon. We can't stay here much longer. We've already been here too long, but we needed the break. We have to send the children home before we go, and it is going to be the most difficult thing we've ever done."

Ben sighed again and nodded, "Yes, it will. They're going to hate us for a while, but we already agreed it was the best way. We have to be sure they don't use their little tricks on us this time. If I'd known what Salvor could do, I would have turned around and put them right back on Naboo."

Rey turned in her husband's arms, "Now, none of that. We did what we had to, and so did they. Also, just in case you forgot, this whole thing started because he _took_ the children. I suppose our only hope is that they will understand and go willingly. If not, well...I suppose we'll..." She trailed off hopelessly.

Ben snorted, "We'll shove them in a sack and ship them off anyway," Ben finished for her and gave her a tight squeeze as she chuckled weakly into his chest.

"They're still going to hate us, Ben. I don't know what I'll do if my children stop speaking to me because they're angry with me. But the fact of the matter is, we are heading into a situation that may well be the most dangerous we have ever faced, and not because the odds are insurmountable or because we are going up against an impossible army, but because our enemy has an astounding amount of power and he is entirely unpredictable _with_ that power. No, we couldn't allow them to go, but it's still breaking my heart."

Ben sighed again and pressed a kiss to her hair, "I know, my Light. I won't enjoy this, either. So, that being said, we should make a pact, here and now."

Rey looked curiously up at her husband, "Okay...What _kind_ of pact?"

Ben grew solemn and grave, "Should one of us die, the other must say their goodbyes and run so that the children do not lose _both_ of their parents in one day."

Rey's hands closed convulsively on Ben's robes, her heart thudding in her ears with sheer terror at the thought. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply, gathering herself before she answered, "Alright, I agree. I _hate_ it, but I agree. Should one of us fall, the other runs."

Ben stared hard at his Light for a long moment before he nodded in satisfaction, "Alright, then. I'll call Finn." _Finn?_ Ben called softly, receiving a bleary _!?..._ In answer. Trying not to chuckle, Ben thought back, _Rey and I are ready to talk to the children. I think it would be best if we all do it at once; present a united front and all that._ Ben received a half-asleep affirmation and broke the contact second before he broke out laughing, "I think I woke him!" Ben chortled, "And given the undercurrents in his thoughts, that's not _all_ I interrupted!"

Rey snorted, "Oh, you are an _evil_ man, Ben Solo. Poor Twila." Rey tried to have a straight face but failed miserably and snorted again, burying her face in Ben's chest as her shoulders shook with silent laughter. "I'd better get the children." _Leia? Anakin? Meet your father and me in the mess hall, if you would please._ Leia and her beloved brother sent a quick thought in agreement; Rey walked over to the wardrobe and dressed quickly in her favorite set of robes; they were worn from travel and terribly comfortable. They fit her perfectly and moved with her like skin – perfect for a fight. She then tied her hair up in her old favorite of three small buns on the back of her head and clipped her double-bladed saber-staff to her hip. Ben raised an eyebrow at her appearance but said nothing, simply taking her hand and walking silently with her through the quiet halls. When they arrived, Finn and Twila were approaching from the opposite direction.

"T'arla and Jar'lek are already in there," Finn said softly, "Together, then?" Ben nodded, and together the four of them stepped through the doors.

"Children, we have something terribly important we need to discuss," Ben began.

No sooner had he opened his mouth than the usually silent T'arla spoke, "Master Solo, if you please, sir, the four of us have been talking since we were called in here, and we have something we want to say." He glanced at his little brother, whose lek'ku twitched; T'arla's eyes narrowed in response to whatever he had read there and nodded, "We know you want to keep us with you so that you can keep us safe, but we think we should go home now. We would just be underfoot at this point; I know we have been useful up until now, but you are going off to face Salvor now, and you'll need all of the concentration you can spare. You can't afford to be worrying about us when you're facing him. The twins are a special case; they're nearly Masters, themselves, and fully old enough to take care of themselves, not to mention skilled enough in a variety of arts to cause quite a bit of havoc." A flush crept across T'arla's blue cheeks, "We don't want to be in the way, and we don't want to be the cause of your deaths. Therefore, we are going home, if it is acceptable to you." The young half-Twilek fell silent and his parents stared at him, open mouthed.

Ben raised an eyebrow at his youngest daughter, "And the two of you agree with this?" Leia nodded, wringing her hands worriedly. Ben chuckled, "Well, will wonders never cease? We have come to the same conclusion, it seems, while coming to entirely incorrect assumptions about each other. We called you here to bully you into going home; we never thought you were going to bully _us_ into _letting_ you go home!" Ben fell to his knees and pulled Leia and Anakin into a tight embrace, "Your mother and I are so proud of you. We figured that Salvor would try to use you four as leverage, or even kill you like he did those troops."

Leia pulled away from her father slightly as her eyes unfocused, "Yes, that is exactly what his plan is. He is expecting that you will not want us away from you side, especially now. He is not planning on our not being there."

Ben shook his head, "Girl, sometimes you astonish me. Go on, then, you two. Go and pack your things. We leave tonight." With that, the two middle Solo children ran off to obey their father, not knowing that their parents' hearts were breaking as they watched their children go.

***Author's Note***

Oh, man; I keep making myself cry lately with my writing. Okay, so like I said, more serious coming. Thanks for reading, as always!


	28. Chapter 28

***Author's Note***

So, this chapter is sort of the calm before the storm, if you get my meaning. Next chapter will be the final showdown with Salvor, and it will be _epic_! Can't wait, all. Enjoy!

***End Note***

Leia and Anakin rushed to pack their things while Anakin chattered excitedly, "I'm really looking forward to going home. I mean, it's nice to know that we can take care of ourselves, but I'm just not quite _ready_ to be a full Jedi, you know?" Leia nodded and grunted an affirmative, her mind on other things. "I mean, traveling the galaxy with mom and dad has been fun and all, but I'd rather wait to do it again until everything calms down and they go out on a recruitment mission." Lei grunted again. "I couldn't believe Matthew just _proposed_ like that! But I mean, I guess it makes sense. If you fall in love and you don't know if you'll both survive your next battle, get married while you can." Once again, Leia grunted in response. "As long as they're happy and...AM I BOTHERING YOU!?" Anakin bellowed as Leia grunted yet again.

Leia looked up from her packing, blinking owlishly at her brother, "There is no need to bellow at me like some sort of animal." Leia said calmly, "I think mom and dad are expecting one or both of them to die this time," she added quietly.

Anakin's temper drained out of him, as did the blood in his face. "How...How can you be _sure_?"

Leia sighed, "I can't. It's just something I've been picking up on over the last few days. They pretty much confirmed it right now when they came to us intending to convince us to go home. I'm certain they would have _forced_ us if we hadn't gone willingly."

Anakin's mind was a blank, "But they can't...We can't...They wouldn't...We'll follow them like last time! We could do it."

Anakin babbled on right over Leia's quiet, "No, Annie."

"It could work; we could hide again. They'd never find us...We..."

Anakin would have continued, but Leia grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him gently, but firmly. "No, Annie. This is one time that we _cannot_ follow them. I considered this course of action when I started getting the notion, and I saw it, Annie. I _saw_ what would happen if we went anyway. They'll die, Annie. Even if we didn't die, which we _would_ , they would be so busy worrying about us and trying to protect us that they would die. _That_ is why I said I was tired and ready to go home. Not because I actually am, not because I don't want to go with them. Because I _do_. And because my own selfishness will only tear our family further apart. Therefore, we will go home. We will attend to our studies and not cause problems. But above all, we will stay _safe_."

Anakin stared at her, his mouth hanging open and tears welling in his eyes, "But how can we leave them now when we know we may never see them again? How could we possibly stand it?"

Leia watched her brother in silence for a moment before she softly answered, "Now you know how they feel. This is only a _portion_ of how it feels to be a parent." Anakin's eyes went wide and his mouth snapped shut; a thoughtful gleam came into his eye as they narrowed again.

Neither spoke again for the rest of the evening until they were being loaded onto a Togorian ship and saying farewell to their parents, perhaps for the final time. "Be safe, my dears. We'll see you in a few weeks, at most." Rey said with a confidence that she did not feel. Anakin did not look convinced, but he said goodbye anyway; he _did_ seem to hold them a bit longer and tighter than was normal for him, but Rey thought little of it. It was _Leia's_ reaction that confused and worried her.

Leia walked slowly towards her mother, a thoughtful look on her face. She stood there, watching her parents for a moment with something near to expectation in her eyes until something shifted and the expectation turned to something harder. She took one of each of her parents' hands and _yanked_ them down so she could look them in the eyes. "Be _careful_ ," she said sternly, "Come home to us. We love you, now and always." With a misty look in her eyes and not another word spoken, Leia turned and marched up the platform into the transport, T'arla and Jar'lek hard on her heels.

Rey watched them go with apprehension, "Do you think they know something?"

Finn and Twila had just gone through a similar experience with their boys, and glanced in their direction as Ben answered his wife with a heavy heart, "Yes, my Light. I think they know _exactly_ what is going on, and decided to leave anyway so that we would have our best chance." Twila and Rey gasped softly and the men wrapped a comforting arm around their wives, "Easy now, my Light. We can't let on that we know what they're doing, or it will make it that much harder for them."

As the loading ramp closed and the children could not longer see their parents, Leia fell to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably. Anakin's eyes went misty as well, but he kicked at an invisible stone and walked off on his own. Little Jar'lek watched Leia sadly, his lek'ku twitching unhappily, "They know what we do, don't they, big brother?"

T'arla sighed heavily, "Yes, brother. I would say that they do. I would also say that they made the same decision we did." Turning to Leia, he laid a gentle hand on her shoulder, "It will be alright, Leia. I can't say that they will all survive; no one can. But I _do_ know that one way or another, our parents will always be with us – even if it is through the Force."

Leia nodded and hiccoughed, "I'm sorry. I don't know why I'm acting this way."

T'arla smiled sadly, "There is no saying what causes a strong person to cry. Perhaps it is that you have had too much placed on your shoulders already and this is what broke you. Perhaps it is that _this_ time, someone that you love is in trouble and there is nothing that you can do about it. Perhaps it is simply that you have been putting on a brave face and all of you conflicting emotions are finally breaking through. However, I think that the most likely cause is that you know, no matter what the outcome of the final battle with Salvor is, _nothing_ will ever be the same. I feel the same sorrow in _my_ heart, as does Jar'lek. We fear for our parents, of course, but we _mourn_ for all that we have lost and all that we are _about_ to lose." T'arla's pink eyes unfocused for a moment, "There are many ways that the battle could go; many paths leave all of our kin and friends alive but... _damaged_ , and there are a large number that leave some of them dead. There are too many possibilities; it is impossible to tell which will be the outcome just yet. As the battle draws nearer, I will be able to get a clearer picture. I intend to keep an eye on the battle once it begins; would you like to be there when it begins?" Leia nodded and wiped her eyes dry as T'arla helped her to her feet, "Very well; I will send Jar'lek for you and Anakin when the battle begins, and he can feed you what he gathers from _my_ mind."

"Thank you, T'arla," Leia said softly, "That is very kind."

The young half-Twilek smiled, "It is no trouble. We have known you our entire lives; you may as well be our siblings, and I know you all feel the same way."

Leia smiled at him, "You should get some rest; it won't be long before we reach Takodana, and then there will be an endless stream of questions, most of which will likely come from the Council. We need to be prepared."

The Masters

Rey sighed heavily and leaned into Ben's shoulder as the Togorain transport took off, carrying away the remainder of her children. Tears soaked into the collar of her robes as Finn and Padme each took one of her hands to comfort her, "Have peace, Mother," Finn said softly, "Not _all_ of your children are gone; we're still here."

Rey sniffled and gave a watery laugh, "Thank you both, but neither of you are children anymore. Therefore, my children _are_ all gone, from a certain point of view."

Finn smiled sadly at his mother, "I know. Even so, we'll still be with you when you face Salvor; you and Father won't be entirely alone." Finn and Padme gave their mother's hands one last squeeze and walked off in the direction of their quarters. Lilia and Matthew had come to say their goodbyes, of course, but had left before anyone else to get as much "alone time" as was possible before the final leg of their journey began, which was understandable. Just then, Padme broke into his thoughts with a gentle nudge and a jerk of her head. Finn turned to see that Valerie was standing in the shadows, seeming to be at a loss of where to go. "Valerie," he said in surprise, "What are you doing out here? You should be resting."

Valerie hesitated for a moment before answering, "I think so...It's just that...Everybody seems to have someone to pair off with. My sister is with her new husband, my father is cloistered away with the rest of them, and you two are heading off to...wherever it is you two head off to."

Finn glanced at his twin and raised an eyebrow; when she nodded, Finn replied, "Come with us."

Valerie smiled self-consciously and hurried after the twins. Padme reached our and laid a gentle hand on Valerie's shoulder and spoke in her quiet way, "Don't worry, you're not alone anymore. We're all family here; our parents, your father, Finn, and Twila have been friends for a very long time. It's only natural that they would turn to each other when something like this happens. They're probably holding a war council in there, honestly. Nothing we'd want to listen in one; entirely too boring." Padme winked merrily at Valerie, causing her to grin widely.

Finn smiled, "That's better. 'Me doesn't usually talk to people but when she does, she always knows just what to say. This is our room over here." Finn waved a hand and the door wooshed open. The three of them walked in and took up spots that were most comfortable for them. Padme smirked behind her hand as Finn and Valerie unconsciously arranged themselves in a pair of cushy armchairs, leaning towards each other. "Don't worry about it, Val; your father will come find you when he's ready."

"Are you sure, Finn? He barely even knows me."

Finn rolled his eyes at her, "Of course I'm sure. It doesn't matter if you've only known him a few weeks – you're his _daughter_. He'll seek you out when they're all done in there. You worry too much."

Valerie smiled and leaned back into the armchair, "Yeah, I guess you're right. I suppose I have been a little insecure since my father walked into my life. All I knew for my whole life was my Grandfather and that little village I was raised in; I suppose I've just been a little overwhelmed since I found out I was a part of...all this. Being around the two of you makes all this seem almost _normal_."

Finn laughed, "Well, that's the first time anyone told us we made things feel _normal_ before, but thanks."

Valerie sighed, "Things are about to become very dark and strange, aren't they?" Finn nodded, "Well, I suppose I should always be ready for the dark and strange in this family, shouldn't I?"

Finn laughed again, "You're starting to catch on! But there's one thing that a lot of outsiders don't understand. It doesn't matter how dark or strange or dangerous things get, we will always be the Light for each other. We are stronger _because_ we have each other, and we keep an eye on each other to be sure no one strays into the dark; as I told you before, my family has had more than its fair share of experience with the Dark Side."

Valerie nodded, "I think it's nice. I always wanted a big, noisy family; I just never knew it was out there already, just waiting to find me. I've felt like there was this hole inside of me, like there was something I was supposed to be doing, but ever since my father came back into my life, I don't feel that anymore. Is that odd?"

Finn smiled gently, "No, not at all. You've found your place in the galaxy, that's all. All you should feel now is peace, and maybe a little happiness. Well, I _hope_ you're happy, anyway."

Valerie beamed at him, "Oh, I _am_ happy, Finn, and a large part of that happiness is you." Valerie gasped and clamped her hands over her mouth, blushing furiously.

Padme snorted violently and laid on her back as a rolling laugh bubbled up in her throat, "Oh, would you two get a _room_! You two are sickening, you really are!"

Finn and Valerie stared at Padme as she continued laughing until Finn turned to Valerie and said with an entirely serious look on his face, "I'm sorry about her. She a little touched in the head." Padme snorted again, laughing harder than ever. Finn smirked at his twin, "Oh, stop it. You're just jealous."

Padme rolled her eyes at him, "Of what, exactly? Being stuck with _you_ for the rest of her life? No, thanks. I already corner the market on that. At least the poor girl doesn't have to hear your thoughts, too. Lucky," she muttered with a mischievous glint in her eye.

Finn groaned, "Oh, come on. You've never minded, and you know it. This way, _you_ don't have to talk, little miss shut-in."

The glint in Padme's eye intensified as she responded, "Yes, but that was _before_ you were interested in a woman. Now, every time she's around, it's all about how her hair shines when the light hits it, the way her eyes are the exact shade of an emerald, and the hypnotic swaying motion of her..." on a screeching laugh, Padme rolled to her feet and dashed away, just as Finn lunged for her, his face bright red. "That's not even _mentioning_ the dream you had last night!"

Padme squealed again and danced out of the way, Finn missing her by centimeters. Valerie watched Finn chase his sister around the room, laughing though her cheeks were still warm from Padme's teasing. "Get her, Finn!" It was Valerie's turn to squeal with laughter as Padme caught up a pillow and flung it at her. Valerie tumbled out of the armchair in a most undignified heap, then sprung to her feet and joined in the chase, giggling like a child. At last, Finn and Valerie managed to trap Padme between them and lunged at her, the three of them collapsing into a pile of twisted arms and legs. They lay there, panting from exertion and hilarity until there came a beep at the door. Finn raised a hand from within the heap of human flesh and clothing and twitched a finger at the door, causing it to open.

"Okay, guys; we have to...What happened in here?" Came Ben's confused voice from the doorway, which only launched them into further laughter, "Alright, you three. Get up; we're leaving tonight. We should reach Naboo by morning."

Instantly, the three sobered and began to sort out whose limbs belonged to whom. Finn was the first to regain his feet and said softly as he stood, "Yes, Father. We will be ready." Ben nodded and left the room. "Well, it seems that's that. We'll see you at the _Falcon_ later, Valerie." Finn laid a gentle hand on her shoulder, his eyes unfathomable in their depth. His hand trailed slowly down her arm as she nodded and walked out of the room. Finn sighed and turned to his twin, "Everything is going to change now, and I don't know if I'm ready."

Padme smiled sadly at her brother, "Neither am I, Finn, but we're not alone, at least. We have each other, and you have Valerie as well, now."

Finn returned Padme's smile, "I suppose you're right. Well, let's get our things together and head for the _Falcon_. I don't want to hang around any longer than necessary. I want all this behind us."

***Author's Note***

Sorry to kill the mood at the end there. Everything will be coming to a head in the next chapter; hope you're ready! Thanks for reading, as ever!


	29. Chapter 29

***Author's Note***

Okay, so reaaaaally long chapter this time! This chapter has a whooole lot of talking, and a great deal of information to get through, but hopefully, it's going to make a lot of the events of this story _and_ the last two make a whole lot more sense. All I'll say is Thamian's not who they thought he was...hehehe. Enjoy!

***End Note***

Later that afternoon, Ben, Rey, Finn, Twila, the twins, Valerie, Lilia, Matthew, Thamian, and Luke stood on the landing platform in front of the _Falcon_ , saying their goodbyes to those who remained. Leia stood with her son with her sorrow heavy like a stone in her heart. Throwing her arms around her son, Leia said thickly, "Now, you take care of yourself out there. You have three other children that you need to get home to. Don't you dare make me outlive _both_ of my children." Leia held tight to her son as tears threatened to spill over.

Ben sighed and rested his chin on the top of his mother's head, "I'll do my best, Mother. No worries, I have no intention of making it easy for him." Ben pulled back and gave his mother's hand a gentle squeeze with his cybernetic left hand, "I have to go, Mother. I love you." Ben gave Leia one last squeeze before turning and heading up the ramp, Rey close by his side.

A short distance away, Huur stood towering over Finn and Twila, "Fear there is in my heart for all of you. Take extra care so that you will return, my little friends. Also, my daughter you have to teach upon your return." Huur knelt down to embrace his old friends, "You must return to shake things up around here again; they get too boring without you here, old friends."

Finn and Twila clasped hands as they tried to keep the sorrow out of their voices, "We'll be back, you galumphing oaf, no worries there."

Huur stood and huffed, "When have ever I 'galumphed'?" His blue eyes gleamed with amusement, but soon grew sober again, "A bad feeling have I. Do not be too certain of yourselves, yes?"

Twila stroked Huur's massive arm, "Don't worry, old friend. You'll see us again." With that, the pair turned and followed Ben and Rey up the ramp and into the _Falcon_. Huur's eyes were sad and dark with suspicion as he watched the pair walk slowly up the ramp. It was as though they were headed for execution, he thought.

Those that remained stood on the _Falcon_ and watched the ramp shut, effectively cutting them off from those they loved. "Well," said young Finn brightly, "This is either going to be a _heck_ of a lot of fun, or we're all going to die. Anyone want to take bets?"

For a moment, the entire loading bay was silent with shock until Thamian laughed, his deep, rich voice like the sound of water thundering over rocks. "Well, I wager that _I_ , at least, will survive. The _rest_ of you...That is less certain." He spoke lightly, but somehow Ben didn't think he was making jokes. There was something deep, so deep he could almost have imagined it, in the back of Thamian's eyes, that said the mountainous man was perfectly serious.

Ben sighed, "Alright, Poe. You and Rey had better set a course for Naboo. Let's get this over with. I hate waiting; I'd rather just get it done now, and deal with the consequences already."

Thamian smiled, "Yes, I often thought that way when I was young. Don't be worryin', young Ben. You'll get your answers before long."

Ben shot Thamian an odd glance as he moved past him towards the galley, "What I want to know is how you seem to know what's going to happen."

Thamian grinned, "Ach, I don't. I've just...seen this before, we'll say."

Ben arched an eyebrow, "You have? How is that possible? I have _never_ seen someone with the kind of power that Salvor has; my _Grandfather_ never saw this kind of power, for goodness' sake, and now you're saying that _you_ have. The only ones who could possibly have seen such power are long, long dead, since the time of the last true Sith." Ben's eyes grew wary as Thamian simply smiled and nodded once, "Wait a moment. When I first started telling you about the Darksaber, you didn't seem... _surprised_ like everyone else. It was like you knew all about it, and far more than the rest of us, but that's _impossible_. The Darksaber was kept as a highly-guarded secret by the Jedi Order until it was stolen."

Thamian nodded again, "Aye, and a fine job they did, too. Well, until it was stolen, that is."

Ben's eyes narrowed, "But that means...You must be..."

Thamian chuckled and nodded again, "Aye, lad. I was once a Jedi, myself."

Finn and Twila's jaws nearly hit the floor as they unhinged and Poe said loudly from the doorway, "Sorry, what? You're a _what_ , now?"

Thamian laughed again, "Aye, laddie, ya heard me. I was once a Jedi, like the rest of you. Alright, maybe no' _exactly_ like the rest of you, but I was a Jedi a very, very long time ago."

Ben stared at Thamian, seeming to have a difficult time comprehending what Thamian was telling them, "But if you were a Jedi, then why can't I sense your power?"

For a moment, Ben smirked with victory, but Thamian smiled sadly, and in his eyes was a grief and loss so deep and so old that it struck Ben in the heart, stealing away his supposed victory, "Ach, laddie, but I said I _was_ a Jedi, once. Not that I am still."

Ben shook his head, confused, "But...The Force doesn't just _vanish_ , Thamian. The ability to use the Force doesn't ever fade, and besides; my Uncle has never spoken to me of a Thamian Rar from the old days of the Order. He's the only one living that would have that knowledge anymore.

Thamian smiled wider, "Not if I was from before your Uncle's Master's time."

Ben recoiled slightly, "That's impossible. You can't be that old."

Suddenly, all pretense fell away, and it seemed that Thamian grew even larger, if that was possible. His pride and dignity swelled him and made it seem that he filled the room. In his eyes was a knowledge and memory that was _ancient_ – far more ancient than Ben could have ever believed possible. With the weight and sorrow of the galaxy in his voice and in his eyes, Thamian said, "Oh, I assure you, Young Master Solo, I _am_ that old."

Ben turned in surprise at his Uncle's "Huh." Luke straightened from the corner where he had been leaning and said, "Well, that explains a few things. I couldn't understand what I was sensing from you, even during the war with the First Order. You _feel_ young, but your mind...There is more crammed into your mind than anyone I've ever met. I couldn't figure out _why_ there was so much. Now that I know you _are_ far older than I had assumed, it explains the phenomenon perfectly. If I may ask – exactly how old _are_ you?"

Thamian sighed heavily, "I am old enough to have seen the Jedi Order at the height of its power. I am old enough, Young Master Skywalker, to be the only living soul in the galaxy that knows where the Darksaber comes from."

Luke raised an eyebrow but said nothing, only nodding. As ever, he did not appear surprised as his empty eye sockets stared blankly in Thamian's direction. Ben, however, was astounded, "But, that would mean that you're..."

Thamian nodded slowly, "Yes; I have more centuries to my name than I care to count. I actually _did_ stop counting, centuries ago!" He declared, bouncing on the balls of his feet and clasping his hands behind his back, seeming very pleased with himself, indeed. He sobered again as he added, "And there is much you still need to know."

Ben sank slowly into a seat and motioned for the others to sit as well. As soon as they had done so, Ben cleared his throat and said carefully (though his voice still shook a little), "Alright, old friend...Tell us what we need to know."

Thamian sighed heavily and began, "I have never told my story before, as I have always preferred to remain in the background, making sure things happen when they need to, and that I'm there to give a slight push, when necessary, at least until now. I was born a farmer's son in a small community on Dantooine, not far from the Jedi Enclave there, shortly after Revan's betrayal of the Order. My parents could not have been more proud when I was discovered to have been full of great power and potential by the legendary Bastilla Shan, herself – _before_ she fell to the dark Side. The training was difficult, but I rose to the challenge. It was not long before I was assigned to a Master as his Padawan Learner. He was a Twilek and half my size, though I was still young and growing; I have quite forgotten his name, it's been so long."

Thamian heaved a sorrow-laden sigh, his eyes morose and distant, " _Prodigy_ , they called me. It was said that I would have a great future, and one day take my place on the Council. I had found my place in the galaxy, it seemed, and I was happy. When it came time for me to craft my first light-saber, the results were... _unusual_. I crafted the weapon from an unusually large crystal and hilt; the resulting blade was similar to the one I use now. The Order had never seen a blade like mine, and were at a loss how to _train_ me in its use. I spent many hours meditating on that very subject, and found that I must find the best use of my weapon for myself. Over the next...however long it took – I've forgotten – I trained obsessively until I had _created_ an entirely new style that suited my blade perfectly. My Master was astonished; never had he seen a Padawan with such skill and aptitude. Needless to say, I advanced through the ranks quickly. By the time I was fifteen," here he glanced at the twins, "discussion had begun on my advancement to full Master. However, before they were able to put their plans into motion, Darth Malak destroyed the Enclave. He sent wave after wave of incendiary bombs to the surface of Dantooine, blasting our home apart. My Master was struck by rubble and fell; I used my considerable physical strength, as well as my strength in the Force, to keep him from being crushed. It seemed like the whole world burned and shook. I don't know how long we laid there, but the longer we stayed, the weaker my Master grew. At long last, the bombs stopped falling; it was over. I shoved with all my might, sending rubble flying in all directions. I pulled my Master into my lap and tried to revive him, but it was too late; the blow had caused internal bleeding, and he had bled to death before I could help him.

"I was inconsolable for weeks while we tried to sort out what had happened. Before long, we heard news begin to trickle in that Darth Malak had not been terribly judicious about where his bombs had fallen. Word had it that he had allowed his bombs to fall on peaceful communities, including my own. I remember rushing out of the remains of the Enclave and running with all my speed to my home, but it was gone. My father's farm was nothing but ash, and my family murdered. I returned to the Enclave in silence, and would speak to no one while a rage and hatred burned within me. For months while they cleared the rubble, none could reach me. At last, one of the other Masters came to me; he had found my light-saber, but it had been damaged by the blast. He was sorry, he said. I remember that one moment snapping me out of my pity. I reacted with a fury that none would soon forget. The very ground shook with my anger. I had lost everything, and the simple matter of a light-saber was the final straw, it seemed." Thamian sighed and ran a massive hand over his grizzled face.

"I didn't know what I was doin', then; that's what I tell meself. Not that I always listen. Anyway, I left the compound that night, hiding my Force Signature so that no one would know where I had gone. Before I left, though, I had searched the remains of the supply rooms for a hilt for a new blade. At last, I found one that was to my liking and headed for the crystal caves to the East. I reached them by morning, hiding my every move and being careful not to use the Force to make things easier or faster, lest I be found. I searched cave after cave, looking for a kyber crystal that would call to me. For days, I searched, finding nothing. After nearly a week, I think, I felt something weak that called to me. I grew frantic, searching high and low for it; at last, I called it to myself, and it answered. It flew into my hand, and immediately, I knew it was... _different_. It felt like no kyber crystal I had ever sensed before, and it drew me in like nothing ever had. _Take_ me, it seemed to whisper to me, _Take me, and I will help you._ I felt an odd echo of darkness coming from that crystal, and if I'd known then what I know now, I would have dropped it and returned to the Enclave. To this day, I wish I had been that wise. To my shame, I was not. I took the crystal and headed further into the mountains, seeking a quiet place.

"As I walked on, I felt my thoughts grow more and more angry. How _dared_ Malak do this to us? To me? I knew someone had to make him pay, and I was determined to be the one to do it. I sat in a clearing and tried to empty my mind of all emotion, as my Master had taught me, but I found that I could not. I didn't care; I reached for the crystal anyway and _shoved_ my Force energy into it. I should have known right then that something was wrong; it _reacted_. As it sucked greedily at my power, it grew _happy_. Crystals do not have emotions; they may, after many years, gain a slight reflection of its master's personality, but never so much as to display true emotions. _This_ crystal was different. I thought nothing of it at the time and carried on, desperate to carry out my revenge. Without looking at my crystal, I chose the best shard, the most powerful and placed it in the hilt, along with the other pieces. At last, I felt my work was complete and opened my eyes. To my astonishment and fear, there, floating before me, was a blade of great and terrible beauty; it was sheer black – even the hilt had turned black – that sucked the very light out of the air and seemed to seep at your happiness." Rey and Twila gasped, prompting Thamian to nod, "Very good, Blue; top of your class; and you, Rey. I had created the Darksaber, though I would not know for a long time just what it was that I _had_ done.

"I hurried back to the Enclave, full of accomplishment and pride; on the way, the blade seemed to whisper, _You don't need them. They'll only hold you back. Take me, and let us run together. The galaxy will kneel before us and call us gods_. At the time, I thought it was my own imagination, but now I know it was, in fact, something far more sinister. When I reached the Enclave and showed the remaining Masters what I had done, expecting them to praise me as they always had done. Instead, they regarded me with new fear and suspicion. They asked me where I had gotten the kyber crystal that I had used to create the blade, and I told them. Immediately, they began to say that the weapon was too dangerous, and should be left with them for safekeeping. I grew angry as they insisted that I hand it over. Would that I had listened to them, but I did not. Rather, I ran, the blade whispering to me the whole while that it understood, that it was my friend, that it would help me.

"At first, I used the blade for good; I wanted to prove to the Council that I was _not_ acting rashly, and that I did know what I was doing, but little by little, I felt a darkness begin to creep into my soul. Slowly, I began to act in a way that was not normal for me. I would shout at people with little provocation, and it became easy to anger me. One afternoon, I was helping the Republic's forces to help fight the Sith armies, and one of the Generals gave me an order. For some reason, it stirred the evil that had rooted in my soul, and I lashed out. In my anger, I raised every soldier within a fifty-foot radius of me into the air and hurled them as far as I could. I killed every one of them, including that General. The Council perceived that I had become a threat, and they moved on me. I was afraid; I didn't know what was happening. I decided that once they arrived, I would hand over the Darksaber and go quietly with them. My blade, however, seemed to have other ideas.

"What happened next is... _fuzzy_. For a moment, it seemed like a man came out of my blade, but I don't know for certain. All I _do_ know is that something else was suddenly in my head with me, and I could no longer control my own body. In horror, I watched as my hands cut down the three Masters that had come to bring me in with a style that was entirely unfamiliar to me, and I heard my voice taunt them as they died. I heard a voice in my head, then; he thanked me. He said that he had been locked away within that kyber crystal for a very long time, and that _I_ had released him. He went on to tell me that long ago, he had been the most powerful Sith in the galaxy, though he could no longer remember his own name. He was so powerful that he had discovered the secret to immortality. A young Jedi had risen up against him but no matter what he did, there was no defeating the Sith. They battlwed for many, many years and at last, the Jedi had a plan. He searched far and wide for a kyber crystal that was powerful enough to make his plan a reality, and when he found it, the young Jedi lured the Sith into one final battle, where the Jedi tricked the old Sith. Never intending to _survive_ that battle, the Jedi allowed himself to be wounded time and time again. At long last, he ran the old Sith through. The Sith began to boast, thinking the young Jedi to be a fool – but he was wrong. Suddenly, through the Force, the young Jedi grabbed hold of the old Sith's mind and spirit and _yanked_ , trapping him forever in the kyber crystal. The effort had cost that Jedi his life, but it was most effective – until I found the crystal.

"It seemed that he had slumbered for centuries beyond count until my rage woke him." Thamian sighed and shook his head, sinking wearily into a seat and running his massive, scarred hands over his unruly mane of flame -like hair before resting them on his neck. "Little did I know that the Darksaber was far from through with me yet. It led me on a vengeful quest of blood and destruction through the galaxy. To list all that was done through me during that time would be repetitive and pointless – I shall merely say that for the next ten years, I was a slave to the Darksaber's will. During those ten years, he used me to decimate the ranks of the Jedi, though I fought him as best I could. At last, the Darksaber felt that victory was near: All it need do now was make one final move, and the Order would be no more – or, so he thought.

"We made our way to Dantooine, where he used my body and my voice to challenge the council, itself. One of the Masters on the council, Master Durinst Hux," at this, many gasped audibly, causing Thamian to smile, "Ah, noticed that, did ya? Yes, Mater Durinst Hux would have been the many-times great-grand-uncle to the recently departed General Hux. You see, we are not so different, the Light and the Dark; we have the same motivations and the same emotions. The Dark simply goes about it the wrong way." Thamian gazed pensively at the little galley table for a moment befroe clearing his throat and continued, "As I was saying, one of these Masters, Master Hux, had known me well as a Padawan and sensed that something was not right. He mentioned this to the other Masters through the Force, and they set out to discover what had happened to me. As the Darksaber continued to taunt the Council, Master Hux saw something flicker in the back of my eyes. You see, at that moment, I had been paying particular attention to what the thief had been making my mouth say. It may have been that very moment that the pieces began to fall into place for him. The old Darksaber seemed to know that the Masters were onto him and attacked. The Council was unprepared for his attack the Darksaber disabled them quickly. At last, only Master Hux remained; suddenly, I heard his voice in my mind. He told me that he knew what had happened, and it was not my fault. He said that he was protecting me from the old Sith's influence, but I must act quickly; Master Hux's strength was greatly damaged by his efforts to protect me.

"Everything happened so quickly after that. Master Hux was dealt a terrible blow, and I watched him slowly fall to the ground, still protecting me; it was like someone had slowed the playback on a holocron, and suddenly I knew what I had to do. All at once, so he couldn't stop me, I took control of my body again and _shoved_ him back into the Darksaber. I will never know how I _knew_ what to do next, nor how I _did_ it. All I remember is that I somehow managed to tie his soul to the Darksaber permanently, forcing him to remain in the crystal, unable to reach out and ensnare anyone, ever again. Further than that, I hampered his communicative abilities; his intelligence was left intact, but he could no longer make himself understood. Nor could he reach _out_ from the Darksaber; whoever he influenced had to be _in contact_ with him in order for him to be able to put thoughts in their heads. I left him very dangerous, but only if someone were foolish enough to take hold of the weapon willingly. The effort was not without cost to me, personally. I was left bereft of any ability to _use_ the Force, but over time I found that it still made things clear to me at times. I still have visions of where I need to be, and when, and perhaps _who_ I need to be near, but the _why_ must be discovered on my own.

"The Council survived, and told me that they had been granted visions of a terrible purge that was coming; they had the foresight to hide away many of their best and brightest Padawans and young Masters – the Order would be fine, I was relieved to discover. It was decided that my ordeal was punishment enough for my rash behavior, but that the Darksaber would need a protector so that never again would it fall into the hands of an innocent. I volunteered at once, and was granted a special place in the Order – Guradian of the Dark. As both creator and victim of the Darksaber, I was uniquely suited to the post. I was left curious, however, about one thing and it took me years to ask. At last, I asked Master Hux why I had never heard of the battle between the young Jedi and the Old Sith before, and I will never forget his answer.

"He told me that the Council in those days had deemed some knowledge to be...simply _too_ dangerous to be made known to the Order in general. All records of it had been wiped from the Archives and been handed down verbally and mentally from Council to Council; every time a new Master was added to the Council, the remaining members took it upon themselves to pass the knowledge and the memories on. In this way, he told me, the knowledge would stay safe. He then told me that my own predicament and the creation of the Darksaber was knowledge of the same ilk and had been stricken from the Archives already, along with my existence. From then on, the Darksaber became a thing of mystery and legend. The Council allowed rumors to spread among the younglings about it, saying that it had been hidden away deep in the archives for a long, long time until it had been found by a foolish young Jedi. It had corrupted him, and he had fallen to its power. They used just enough of the truth to make it plausible; many things that happened during the Purge have been forgotten, and why not? It was an awful time. As for me, I was given a special cowl and set of robes in a silver-black so deep that it seemed like the sky itself had woven itself into a garment for me to wear. The story was circulated that the position was given to Jedi of particular skill every few decades after the previous one grew old.

"In this way, I passed the next...I don't know how many years. I suppose I grew complacent, or something; I honestly couldn't tell you. I _vanished_ in a way, into the Force – not like a Jedi, mind, but through meditation. I found I could still commune with the Force, I just couldn't _control_ it. One afternoon, the Mandalorians attacked and took the Enclave by surprise. I was struck by a concussive blast that took me by surprise and knocked me unconscious; when I woke, the Darksaber was gone. My anger roused me from my slumber and the Council charged me with its tracking and retrieval. For the first time since I was given the post, I removed my cowl and robes and donned normal clothes again. The first time I saw myself in the mirror, I was astounded to see the face you see now; I had been in my thirties when I'd begun my guard. I chased the Darksaber across the galaxy for many, many countless years; I got close many times, though never so close as I am now. I became a legend among the Jedi Order, and the next time I came before the Council, I found that all the Council members and Jedi I had known were long dead; I suppose that was when I realized that I no longer aged. So long as the Darksaber survives, so do I, it seems. The Council had been kept aware of my existence, it seemed, which had been relegated to the 'too dangerous to be made known' category of information. I learned to bide my time every time the Darksaber vanished, knowing it would be back. In those days, I took up the mantle of smuggler, as they always hear the most intriguing gossip, and the most unlikely tales; if I were to find rumors of the Darksaber anywhere, that would be the place to look, I decided." Thamian trailed off for a moment before his eyes returned to the present and regained their mirthful sparkle, "Well, I suppose that's everything. I hope you do not think any less of me, my friends, for keeping this from you. You must believe me when I say it was necessary."

For a few long minutes, there was silent as they all digested the information they had been provided, but it was Twila who broke the silence, "Thamian, I have known you longer than anyone else here – nearly my entire life. I have never known you to do anything without reason, and this actually explains a _whole_ lot about you. I think I speak for everyone when I say that we could never think less of you, no matter what you did. In fact, you are more astonishing than I ever expected, old friend. I am truly honored that you have chosen to call me 'friend'."

Thamian's blue eyes misted over and his scarred, freckled cheeks went ruddy as he gave a great sniff, "Well, then. I suppose that's all there is to say, eh? I'm for bed; the rest of ye, get some rest." Thamian thumped his way to his quarters, leaving the others to sit in wonder at what they had discovered about their sweet, shy, unassuming friend.

***Author's Note***

Phew! That was quite a lot to get through, just in the writing. I hope you liked it; Thamian's going to play quite the roll in the next chapter; we're down to the wire, my friends! We've got three chapters to go, at the most, then it's on to an entirely new genre! I'm actually a little sad to be so close to the end of this story, but I'm glad that I've enjoyed it so much. Thanks for reading, my friends!


	30. Chapter 30

***Author's Note***

Okay, so I hope I don't end up on anybody's you-know-what list after this chapter, but I recommend you bring the tissues for this one. I won't say any more, just please don't hate me. Enjoy!

***End Note***

As Ben had predicted, they managed to reach Naboo by morning. As they came out of hyperspace and neared the planet, they grouped together again in the galley, "Alright, we don't have much time," Ben began. "However, thanks to Thamian, we _do_ have a better idea of what we're _really_ up against. What we need to do is come up with a way to cut Salvor off from the Darksaber's influence, then we should be able to fight him more fairly. Also, we need to figure a way to keep him from using his little mass-haematoma trick. If we can do both of those things, we may just stand a chance. Thamian, do you think you can figure out a way to do that?"

Thamian chuckled, "You forget to whom you are speaking, my friend; I came up with a way _centuries_ ago. The one wee problem is that I cannot do it myself. It requires use of the Force to pull off, and I no longer can do so. It is fairly simple, really: You need to get close and put a barrier between his hand and the Darksaber." At the incredulous stares of this friends, Thamian sighed, "Alright, _fine_. The _theory_ is relatively simple, but the execution will likely be far more difficult. Meanwhile, a wall, if you will, needs to be erected around all of our minds so that he cannot access them. Now, I'm not talking a mental block, here; this is _far_ more difficult. You need to be able to block him from _physically touching your mind_ with the Force. Essentially, you must _block the Force_ itself _with_ the Force. Simple, right?"

Young Finn snorted, "Oh, please. 'Me and I have been doing that for a long time; you basically created a sort of cocoon around the person you want to stop, or around the person or area you want to protect. Nothing gets in, nothing gets out. Unless you have a Force-Bond with someone, of course. It's a nice little loophole, and incidentally, the reason why we were never dumb enough to try it on any of you, _especially_ our parents."

Ben's jaw worked soundlessly for a moment before he uttered a stunned, "Huh. Well, it seems all my questions have been answered for me. I wish all things could be this easy." He cleared his throat and continued, "Alright, then; twins, you protect our minds with your cocoon-barrier-thing, and Thamian will teach us all how to cut Salvor off from the Darksaber. It doesn't matter _who_ does it, as long as it gets done and holds long enough for someone to strike the final blow." Silence fell at his words, "I know, I know. I don't like it, either, but it _must_ be done. We are facing a situation very like my sister. If we don't stop Salvor permanently, we may never be able to stop him. Our primary objectives today are to kill Salvor and to appropriate the Darksaber. Look around this room, all of you; some of us may not return, this time. Look well and remember each other, should some of us fall. Now, as soon as we touch down, we need to clear the area of civilians – I don't want a single noncom hurt or killed; am I understood?"

Everyone nodded, their eyes full of both fear and sorrow, but also acceptance. They knew that, even should one or all of them fall, they had said all they need say to one another and that every person involved knew what they meant to the others. Poe took one of each of his daughters' hands and stepped back so that they were before him, and he was looking into their faces, "I am so proud of both my girls. Lilia, I am _so_ glad that I took you in as my adopted daughter. Valerie? I am blessed to have found you, and to have gotten to know you. You look just like your mother, but you act far more like me. The two of you have made my life worth living." All three Damerons were teary-eyed as they embraced.

Just then, the proximity alarms began to sound, and Poe was off at a run to guide the _Falcon_ safely to the surface of the planet. Once they had landed and the much-diminished group disembarked from the ship, every one of them grew instantly wary. Everything was quiet and still, save for the groups of civilians that had come to greet the Jedi, chattering happily as they headed towards the _Falcon_. Immediately, Ben started making shushing motions to the crowd. Just then, the twins' heads snapped up and Padme jerked her head off to the right to indicate Salvor's location. Ben nodded that he understood the message and quietly spoke to the villagers, "You need to get out of here, right now. Get out of town; don't pack anything, just grab your families and go. This is about to be a war zone. We'll do our best to keep from damaging any homes, but you need to get out of here, right now."

The villagers nodded, "Lives are more important, Master Solo. Homes can be rebuilt." The villagers turned and hurried to spread the word. Within the hour, the village was empty of all noncombatants.

The twins turned in the direction that they had sensed Salvor and began to lead the others towards him. They came to what appeared to have been a grand arena at some point; there were great flights of stairs on all four sides, and a great open space in the middle, much like what would be needed to watch some sort of sport such as wrestling or the like. Directly in the middle of the open space stood Salvo, waiting patiently for them with his feet shoulder-width apart and his hands clasped behind his back. "I have been expecting you. I knew you would come; how could you resist? You know now what I can do, so how could you _possibly_ allow me to live? It's the perfect trap, really. I have before me all of my greatest adversaries and I stand ready for them. Once I am finished with you, I will destroy your Academies, once and for all, starting with your children. I made a mistake in underestimating them – that will not happen again. What? Nothing to say? No bravado, no strong words? I'm surprised; usually you are so very charismatic, Kylo Ren...Sorry, you prefer 'Ben' these days, don't you? I was somewhat disappointed in how easily you defeated my faithful servants, Hux and Phasma." Twila's head snapped up, and her eyes locked on Salvor, "Oh, yes. She was acting on _my_ orders when she was hunting the Darksaber. She was acting on _my_ orders when she slaughtered Twileks. She was acting on _my_ orders when I allowed you to see her slaughter your friends. She quite enjoyed it, too. Of course, I enjoyed it as well. Unfortunately, it proved to be a waste of time and effort _Padme Solo_ reached it first. Of course, I could not allow her to keep it for long. I had planned to ambush her and kill her myself, but you did that for me. All I needed to do was _find_ it, which I did. It took me weeks to search that stinking field, but I did it. My life has not been the same since then; the Darksaber has shown me things. It has shown me things that I could never have done without its knowledge. You cannot begin to comprehend the _knowledge_ it holds."

Thamian chuckled, "Would you care to lay a wager on that, young one? We know more about it than you do, for certain. I doubt it has revealed all of itself to you – that would be foolish on its part. There is more in that blade than you could ever know."

Salvor's eyes unfocused for a moment, as though he were shocked that someone had dared to interrupt him. After a long, tense moment, his eyes finally fell on Thamian – first they narrowed, then they grew wide with shock and he paled slightly, "I... _know_ you...How can I know you? It whispers to me...It says it knows you...It calls you...enemy...martyr... _creator_...? That cannot be...It is ancient – thousands of years old. It thought you were dead."

Thamian smiled grimly as he made his way to the forefront, "No, I am not dead. It seems my purpose has not yet been fully served. Has it really been _that_ long? When one does not age, it becomes difficult to chart the passing of the years, and they become endless – like one very long day after another. The Darksaber is correct; I did create it...in a way."

Salvor's brow furrowed, but quickly cleared, "It matters little. It has become so much more since you abandoned it...It has gained... _consciousness_."

Clearly, Salvor had been expecting some sort of reaction – astonishment, perhaps – but he did _not_ expect Thamian to burst out laughing, "Oh, my dear man. You cannot comprehend how very _backwards_ you are. The Darksaber is not an _it_. It is a _he_. And he has indeed changed these past few thousand years. His power has grown limited to what he can do _through_ someone else. He was far more powerful when I created him – which is why I placed limitations on his power. Now, I am going to ensure that he can _never_ cause this sort of destruction, ever again. He will return to my careful watch and I will never again allow anyone to use the blade that he now inhabits."

Suddenly, a great and terrible rage began to seep from the Darksaber and Salvor's eyes pulsed with red, "You have made him angry. He _will_ have his way, and no one, not even you, will stop him. You will not stop _us_."

Thamian rolled his eyes and mocked, "If I had ten credits for every time I'd heard _that_ , I could afford to buy this entire planet! Enough chatter, Salvor." Thamian reached up and took hold of his enormous vibrosword, shrugging his great shoulders to release it, "Let us begin, if you think yourself so indomitable. Come at me!" Salvor cocked his head to the side for a moment, considering the mountainous man. All at once, he sprung across the distance between him and Thamian with the vigor and vitality of a man one-third his age. Shock crossed his face when Thamian easily blocked the Darksaber, "Oh, you'll not be able to break _this_ sword. It was made specially for me by the Old Order. It was infused with the Force so that it is stronger than any steel or metal you will ever find. You will have to rely on your skill, rather than brute force, Salvor."

Salvor's eyes narrowed to tiny slits and he growled low in his throat, "Very well, then." He sprung back and battered Thamian with blow after blow, gaining speed and strength with each blow.

At first, it seemed that Thamian would be quickly and easily overwhelmed, but he smirked and increased his speed to match Salvor's, "It's a relief to not have to hide my true ability for once; now that my existence is known, there is no reason to hide any longer." Thamian shoved hard against the Darksaber, shoving Salvor back a few steps. The battle intensified then, and it began to look as though _Thamian_ would overpower _Salvor_. Salvor saw this as well and Ben felt it when Salvor stabbed out at Thamian's mind viciously, only to be stopped by Ben's shield. Salvor growled with rage and swung hard at Thamian, only to be blocked by Thaiman's massive sword again. Suddenly, he grinned smugly and _twisted_ the Darksaber – it bit into Thamian's great arms, and he howled in pain as his arms fell to the ground, both severed just below the elbow.

Salvor laughed in triumph, his victory fading as he turned at the shout that came from behind him, and suddenly he understood. Thamian had never been the true challenge; he had only ever been a distraction. From behind him, Padme flung herself at Salvor, her blow easily met by the Darksaber. From the side, Finn lunged at Salvor's hip, slashing violently. The two kept him admirably busy while Poe and Valerie blaster bolts from a distance, further distracting him so that Ben, Rey, Finn, and Twila could get into position. His rage increased with his indignation at being challenged by _children_. As the fight went on, he grew more and more angry; his resources were being stretched to their limit, and his focus was being split in a way that infuriated him. Finally, he ducked under a blow from Finn, kicked him hard in the gut with a vicious side kick and flung out his hand in Poe's direction. There was a scream of terror from Valerie and Poe was tossed like a doll into the air, slamming into a wall, an enormous _crack_ resounding through the space. He collapsed on the ground and did not move again, and his bond-brother's knees went out from under him as a hollowness began to spread from his bond with Poe. In the moment of distraction, Salvor twisted beneath Padme's blade and hacked at her right side, connecting soundly. Finn Solo's back arched and the twins cried out in unison as Padme's right arm fell to the ground, her twin rushing to her side as she fell. "No! Padme, no!" Glancing at his sister's wounds, he saw that a great chunk was now missing from her right side, and blood was pooling on the ground beside her. Even as he watched her, he saw her eyes dull with pain and shock, and her breathing become labored. "Don't leave me, please. Stay; you _have_ to stay."

Padme reached up and laid her left hand on her brother's face, "You have to go. Go, now; she needs you." Finn shook his head stubbornly before his own eyes went dull with shock as Padme blocked their Force Bond so that he could no longer sense her. "I'm sorry, brother, but you don't need to feel what happens next. _Go_. They all need you now. Go." Padme shoved weakly at her brother as he laid her gently on the ground, tears soaking into his face as he turned back to the battle, leaving his beloved twin to stem the bleeding as best she could.

Across the field, Ben and Rey were engaged with Salvor, but they were not blind to what had happened. Each channeled their grief into greater focus and control, blending their movements together into a seamless, cohesive whole. Finn rejoined the battle, fighting Salvor from behind with No-Nerves and Twila, his face a mask of pain and fury that was tightly controlled, lest it overtake him and push him to the Dark Side. Without warning, Salvor sent a massive Force-Blast towards Finn, No-Nerves, and Twila, sending them flying, right into Matthew and Lilia, knocking them flat. Rey seemed to sense that something was coming and flung herself in front of Ben, just in time for Salvor to ram the Darksaber into her chest. Without pause, he spun around again to meet Matthew, Lilia, Finn, No-Nerves, and Twila. The four immediately began to grapple with Salvor, while Rey stood in front of Ben, her arms still outstretched and her expression one of utter shock. "Oh," she said softly as her knees gave out.

"No, no, no, no," Ben said in a panic as he rushed forward to catch her, "Please, no; I'm not ready. It wasn't supposed to be me leaving here. It was supposed to be you."

"Shh," Rey muttered, "I'm not dead yet. Even so, don't leave me. If I am to die today, I would rather it be in your arms, my Love." Ben nodded and held her closer, stunned into silence. "Just stay here with me, and we will see what comes to pass. Just remember your promise."

Back in the battle between Matthew, Lilia, Finn, No-Nerves, Twila, and Salvor, things were going badly. Salvor had scored bloody wounds on Matthew and Lilia, and both were slowing. Suddenly, a gleam came into Salvor's eye and he lashed out with a vicious side kick, sending Matthew to his knees. He followed the blow with a knee that landed squarely between Matthew's eyes, knocking him unconscious. Next, he focused on Lilia, but found her two-handed style to be flummoxing; instead, he altered his tactic, sending a powerful Force-Blast at both Lilia and Finn, sending them both into a wall, where they slumped, dazed. At last, it was Salvor, No-Nerves, and Twila.

The old man could not resist the urge to gloat, "So, this is the legendary Master No-Nerves and his Twilek whore. Oh, I greatly look forward to ending your lives. Especially the Twilek; as you may have guessed, I have something of an affinity for slaughtering... _non-humans_."

No-Nerves growled, "You won't lay a hand on her, not while I live."

That, it seemed, was the wrong thing to say. Salvor grinned maniacally, "Well, then. I suppose I'll have to remedy that, won't I?"

For a split-second, it seemed that Twila's attention was drawn elsewhere. That heartbeat's space of time was just enough for Salvor to thrust the Darksaber into Finn's stomach. For a moment, No-Nerves seemed confused; he felt no pain, and yet, there was an odd chill that crept suddenly through him. He glanced down and saw the Darksaber between his ribs and smiled, "You think you've won? You will _never_ win, so long as there is good in this galaxy."

Salvor drew close to Finn's face and whispered harshly, "Then I'll just have to stamp that good out, won't I?"

Salvor drew back and swung the Darksaber at Finn's neck, only to be stopped by Twila's pulsing light-saber. "Not on your life," she growled. "He belongs to _me_ , and you can't have him." Twila kicked Salvor square in the chest, knocking him back a few steps away from No-Nerves. He nodded at her and began to drag himself slowly away from the battle to where the other wounded sat tending each other.

"On your _life_? What an odd thing to say." Salvor mocked, "Fine; I suppose your life is a fitting price. Have no fear, your... _mate_..." he spat the term out with disgust, "will join you soon." Salvor thrust out his free hand and Twila's right arm _snapped_ , forcing her to drop her light-saber as she screamed in pain. She could hear her husband's groan of loss as he watched Salvor advance on his mate. "At last," he said with a sick gleam in his eye, "At last, I will _end_ the perversion of the Light."

Salvor had just raised his light-saber to strike the final blow, there came the sudden and unexpected sound of another light-saber hissing to life. Salvor paused with his arm still raised and stared stupidly at the pulsing blue light-saber that protruded from his ribs. From over his shoulder, Padme said, " _Never_ turn your back on your enemy, even if you think they are dead." Padme yanked her blade from Salvor's back and watched him fall to the ground with pity in her eyes, "You could have been great, you know. You really could have made something of yourself, but you chose _this_ , instead. I feel sorry for you." Salvor's expression turned to one of pure hatred for a moment before the light left his eyes and he rattled out his final breath. Padme stepped over the body with a look of revulsion on her face and fell to her knees, clutching at the crater in her right side. Finn rushed over to his twin's side, lending her his strength to keep her from bleeding to death before they could get her somewhere relatively safe. "Nice...timing, Aunt Twila," Padme breathed, panting with effort, "I thought...for a moment there...that you wouldn't...be convincing...enough."

Twila smiled gently at her, "No, you're the one who did an admirable job. We all thought you were dead for sure; I nearly slipped when I heard your voice in my head, telling me your plan. When I heard you say you were near, I flung out the barrier, hoping and praying that I'd done it right. I'm just glad that's all over."

Padme nodded weakly, "Me...too. At least...we're all...safe."

From across the clearing, they heard a broken, "Not all of us." Valerie sat with her father's head in her lap; he wasn't moving. Silence fell like a blanket, seeming to smother the light as they turned towards Poe.

Lilia screamed in denial and lunged unsteadily to her feet, running to her father's side. "No! Father, get up! Wake up, Daddy! Please!" But for all their pleading and shaking, Poe did not answer them, nor did he wake. Lilia felt at her father's neck for a pulse, but found nothing. Her face went slack with shock and silent tears streamed down her face, "No," she whispered.

Valerie wrapped her arms around her sister, and together they began to sob brokenly over their father's body. Matthew walked slowly over to the girls and gently said, "We need to get him out of here. Come on, let's take him home." Valerie and Lilia nodded and helped each other to their feet, holding tightly to each other as Matthew lifted Poe's lifeless body and headed towards the _Falcon_.

The rest followed silently. Ben carried Rey, the Darksaber kept hidden away in a pouch at his hip, where it would not touch his skin. Twila slung her husband's arm around her neck and supported him with her left arm, her right hanging uselessly at her side. Finn carried his twin, and Thamian hobbled along as best he could; with no hands to help him keep his balance, the going was slow. Together, they finally made it to the top of the stairs, and found the villagers waiting at the top. Many were weeping openly as the gruesome procession passed, and all wanted to pay their final respects to Poe. At last, they reached the _Falcon_ and went about the wearisome business of patching each other up as best they could after such a battle. It was left to young Finn to navigate as best he could, as Poe was gone, and Rey was in no shape to pilot. She forced Ben to carry her into the cockpit once she was stable, though, so that she could coach Finn in the proper handling of _her_ ship. Besides, as a Solo, she felt it was something her eldest son _should_ know. At long last, they lifted off and left Naboo far behind them, most hoping that they would never have to see it again.

***Author's Note***

Okay, so, halfway through the last chapter, I realized there was _no way_ that everyone was going to get out of this alive. I wrestled with who was going to die for this whole chapter, but there was a moment when Poe was hugging his girls, and that was when I knew. It broke my heart a little, but there you have it. There will be a final farewell for Poe, and there will be a special little surprise for you at the end off the next chapter, so...thanks for reading! Lots of love, all.


	31. Chapter 31

***Author's Note***

Okay, so we've got one last chapter after this one! I hope you've enjoyed the story thus far, and no worries: there will be a happy ending. ^_^

***End Note***

The _Falcon_ returned to Takodana to find a crowd waiting for them. The first thing that was done was to carry a very weak and barely stable Padme into the medical facilities at the Jedi Academy. Here, both Jedi and Neutral Orders worked side-by-side, proving that the two ideologies were not incompatible. Thamian, Rey, and Finn were ushered to the facilities shortly thereafter, though their conditions were not nearly so severe as Padme's. A number of Masters arrived to carry Poe away to make his body ready to be laid to rest. As Ben, Twila, and young Finn watched him be carried off, Leia, Anakin, T'arla, and Jar'lek made their way out of the milling crowd and threw themselves at their parents, crying in relief. Ben and the others stood watching the goings-on, "What I don't understand is how they knew we would be needing medical attention."

Leia cleared her throat, "Actually, that would be us. T'arla was watching through the Force, and fed it to us, as well. We knew we had to stay here, but we also knew that we had to see what was happening. Turns out that it's a good thing we did."

Ben nodded, "You never cease to amaze me, little one. Now, go on home and wait for us there; there is much here that must be attended to." Leia and the other children bowed respectfully and hurried off to mourn in their own ways. Ben watched them go before taking a deep breath and made his way quickly to the medical wing of the Academy, where Rey, Finn, and Padme had been taken. Finn and Twila hurried with him, anxious to see what had become of the others. The moment Ben and the others burst into the medical wing, they were instantly swarmed by Healers, each chattering at Ben about one of their patients.

From one, it was, "I honestly don't know what gets into you people; first it was his back, now this..."

Another was more concerned with Rey, "It's lucky it wasn't a few inches higher. She's very lucky to be alive..."

A third was properly confounded, "It's amazing that he's not dead. I mean, I know he's a large fellow, but still...The pain alone would have killed lesser men...And how did he lose _both_ arms!?"

But what caught his attention, held it, and chilled him to the bone was, "She _should_ be dead, Master Solo. The only thing that I can imagine would possibly be giving her the will to carry on is her twin."

Ben stopped dead and raised his voice above the din, " _Enough_!" Turning to the last Healer who had spoken, Ben said gently, "What were you saying about Padme?"

The Healer blew out a heavy sigh, "She is barely hanging on, Master Solo. The only thing keeping her alive at this point is her Bond with her twin. It _may_ buy us enough time to stabilize her, but I'm just not sure. I've never seen a wound like this before. It's not just her right arm that's gone, Master." He hesitated before continuing, "This will...not be easy to hear." Ben paled but nodded, indicating that the man should finish. "Well, Master Solo, her right arm is completely gone – there's not even a shoulder blade left. That is easy enough to fix, but the rest? Half her right breast is gone, half her right lung, a section of her ribs, possibly even a portion of her uterus, not to mention the sheer amount of blood loss. She may have as little as half a pint of blood remaining in her system now. That she is alive _at all_ is astounding."

Ben's voice trembled as he answered, "So, what do we do?"

The Healer ran a shaking hand over his face, "Well, we _might_ be able to replace the damaged lung and lay some synthetic ribs in place of the old ones, and the arm is easy enough to replace, but it's the breast that concerns me. If it remains as it is, it may become terribly infected, and in that location, the infection could quickly seep into her heart, which is barely beating as it is. What we _could_ do is remove the breast and surrounding tissue entirely. If that were the case, we could attach a prosthetic; the arm and shoulder blade need to be replaced, anyway; we could have an apparatus made that slips on to her...well, where her shoulder _should_ be, and have the prosthetic breast attached to it. However, if we did that, it would most likely be made of metal, rather than flesh. As for the uterus, there is nothing we can do if it has indeed been damaged. The next step is, of course, up to you, Master. Either way, she will be needing a blood transfusion; plasma is just not doing the job. What would you have us do?"

Ben paled further and shook his head and caught a glimpse of his eldest son out of the corner of his eye, "That would be up to her twin." Finn's head jerked up and his eyes went wide, "He knows her better than anyone, and as her twin, he is the only one here who has any right to make those calls. Go ahead, son. What would Padme want us to do?"

Finn stared wide-eyed at his father for a moment before he took a steadying breath and closed his eyes, searching the Force and his feelings. After a few seconds, he opened them again and looked the Healer right in the eye, "Do it. Do whatever you think is necessary. It will be difficult for her to adjust, but she'll be fine."

The Healer stared long and hard at Finn, "Very well; it shall be as you requested. Fear not; your sister is in good hands." The Healer hesitated, "There is the matter of the transfusion..."

Finn nodded, "I will do it; take as much from me as you need. I can heal myself."

The Healer smiled, "I thought you might say that." He turned and began to sprint down the aisle between the sick beds with his robes flying, barking orders the whole way. Another Healer hurried over to Finn and whisked him away to get him ready for the necessary amount of blood they would be taking form him.

Ben sighed and turned to the Healer who had been screaming about Rey, "What about my wife? Will she survive?"

The Healer sighed, "I feel I may have gotten the easy one today – Yes, Master Solo. Rey will be fine. If the wound had been just a bit further in _any_ direction, I don't know that she would be so easy. She, too will be needing some blood, Master, though not nearly so much as Padme."

Ben nodded again, "Very well; do what must be done. See if Anakin or I will suffice." The Healer nodded and left to see to her patient's needs.

Thamian's Healer tugged on Ben's sleeve, "What about _my_ patient!? What happened to him? He is no Jedi, yet it appears he has crossed blades with one! What were you _thinking_ allowing him to accompany you!? He has lost so much blood that I don't know if I can save him – were he a Jedi, it would be different. He could sustain himself through the Force and give us enough time, but he's _not_!"

Ben held up a hand, silencing the man, "Thamian Rar is more than any of us ever expected him to be. He had every right, perhaps more right than the rest of us, to be there and have a part in that fight. Now, what is the problem?"

The Healer sighed in exasperation, "Well, I've asked around and no one seems to know exactly how _old_ he is! I can't possibly do anything until I know his age – otherwise, I may administer too much or too little of a drug and kill him!"

Ben chuckled, "Oh, I don't think a simple thing like that will manage to bring _this_ man down. Do what you need to, and be sure he had _both_ arms replaced." The man began to complain, but Ben interrupted him, "I gave you an order, Master Healer. Now carry on." The Healer looked mutinous, but went on his way, muttering to himself.

The final Healer cleared her throat delicately, waiting for Ben to turn to her. The sound caught his attention and he turned, "I'm sorry; you were so quiet in comparison to the others, I completely forgot you were there. How's Master No-Nerves doing?"

The Healer sighed, "That is...difficult to say, Master Solo. He shows no signs of pain, but that is due to his spinal injury from... _ahem_...the war with the First Order. He _seems_ fine, but his vital signs tell another story. According to all of my scans, both through the Force and through the equipment, his condition is far more severe than he would lead us to believe."

Ben crossed his arms while Twila clutched at his arm from behind, "Tell me."

Shaking her head, the Healer continued, "It would appear...Well, it would appear that the wound damaged his heart. A little to the left, and it would have killed him outright. He was lucky, though – as usual. His heart was only nicked, rather than _shredded_ , but even so...it's not good news. His heart is struggling to keep beating under the strain. You see, when a person moves about normally, it puts far more strain on the heart than if that same person were to sit quietly and rest. Well...you know Master No-Nerves, Master Solo ; if he feels fine, then he _acts_ like he's fine. Stubborn old goat," she muttered under her breath, "The problem is that if his heart keeps working as hard as it is now, it will shred itself apart. Now, at first, I'm sure the nick wasn't too severe and could easily have been repaired. Since the injury, however, he has put far more strain on his heart than he should have; the hole has been growing rapidly, and there is nothing we can do about it. I fear that it will need to be replaced if this continues. I would like to see if there is a way to repair it either through the Force, or some other way: the Force can make miracles happen, it's true, but even the Force has its limitations."

Ben nodded and chewed at his lip, rubbing the fingers of his left hand together, "Yes, I know the limitations. Twila? What do you think?"

Twila squeezed at Ben's arm before answering, "Please do all you can for my mate. If his heart must be replaced, then do so. Thank you, Healer." The Healer smiled sympathetically at Twila, taking her hand and squeezing it gently before she walked off to see to Finn.

Suddenly exhausted, Ben slumped into a chair by the door, resting his face in his hands. Suddenly from beside him, he heard his Uncle say with sorrow heavy in his voice, "What a day. Hopefully everyone will pull through; it seems that the ones in the worst shape are Finn and Padme. They're both strong, though. They should be just fine. How are you holding up, Nephew?"

Ben sighed heavily into his hands, then raised his head and responded wearily, "I don't know...Things are just so...precarious right now. I feel like I'm standing on an unsteady rope bridge over a deep chasm and if one more gust of air blows through, I will be cast into the chasm."

Luke nodded and laid a hand on his nephew's shoulder, turning his empty eye sockets in his direction, "I know, Ben. These things are difficult, but we _will_ get through them. I feel fairly lost, myself, though that isn't terribly surprising given the rather extraordinary set of circumstances we find ourselves submerged in. Even for Jedi, our circumstances are extraordinary. I have faith that everything will work out as it is meant to."

Ben clasped his Uncle's hand and squeezed, "Thank you, Uncle. I suppose...I suppose I should go and see to funeral arrangements for Poe so that Valerie and Lilia don't have to do it all. Twila has enough on her hands right now with Finn."

Luke cocked his head, "And what about you? You have everyone here to worry about?"  
Ben smiled sardonically, "Yes, but I have broad shoulders. I think I can carry a bit more responsibility. And besides, who else is there just now?"

Luke nodded sagely, "You have become a wise man, Ben. I'm proud of you."

Ben stood and clasped Luke's hand firmly, "Thank you. I'll be with the girls if you need me." Luke nodded and turned his blind stare back to the sick beds where he sensed their friends and family lay. When Ben finally found Poe's daughters, they were in a terrible state, weeping brokenly over their father's body while a decidedly frazzled-looking Matthew tried to answer questions regarding his late father-in-law's funeral. Taking pity on the poor man, Ben spoke up, "I believe you would be better-served to aim your questions at me. In fact, why don't you go and put together a list for me to look over, and I will give you my opinion at a later time?" The gentleman who was trying to arrange Poe's funeral bowed and backed out of the room, "Poor man's just trying to do his job. How are you holding up?"

Matthew sighed shakily, "I...I don't really know. It doesn't quite seem real, does it, Master Solo? That man is from the Village; he was sent for by the Order. It seems there are many things I don't know about Master Dameron that I should have known."

Ben clapped Matthew on the shoulder, "It's alright. I knew him far longer than you did. I think I can piece together what he would have wanted for his service. First of all, I don't think he'd want us to waste any more tears," he finished, turning to the two distraught women.

Valerie glared up at Ben, "How can you possibly say that? You know _nothing_ about what I'm going through – what _we're_ going through. How can you? I _just found_ my father, and now I've lost him again! When was the last time you lost anyone?"

Ben stared her down with gentle sternness in his eyes, "Today, child. I lost one of my best and oldest friends today. Before that, though, I lost my sister. I thought her dead, and I found her again just in time to have to kill her. Before that, it was my father. I believe I know better than most what it is that you are going through, young one."

Valerie stared up at Ben with a surprised expression before bursting into tears, "I'm sorry, Master Solo! I don't know what's gotten into me."

Ben grimaced and drew her into a gentle, comforting embrace, "I understand. It's your grief that makes you speak in such a manner. I do not begrudge you your pain. However, believe me when I say that your father would not want us to sit around and mourn for him longer than is necessary. _Your_ father would want an enormous celebration with all the best food, wine, and ale in the galaxy; not to mention the most beautiful _women_. I think we'll stick with food and drink, though don't you?"

Valerie and Lilia chuckled weakly, "He's right," said Lilia through her tears, "That does sound an awful lot like Father. Come on, let's help Uncle Ben get everything taken care of. We need to make ourselves useful, or we will sink into despair and allow our grief to consume us." Valerie nodded and stood with her sister's help. Together, the three of them managed to make all of the final decisions in regards to Poe's final farewell.

One week later, the arrangements for Poe's final celebration had been carried out and funeral goers were arriving to pay their final respects to a man who was well-known as being extraordinary in many ways. Finn, Rey, and Thamian were back on their feet and well on their way to recovery. Finn had been touch-and-go for a while, but eventually they had stabilized him and replaced his damaged heart with an artificial one, and Thamian had a pair of shiny new arms. Padme, though...It was still uncertain when she would be back on her feet.

The twins remained cloistered in the medical wing of the Academy, refusing to allow anyone in, save the single Healer that Padme would allow to treat her. Apparently, the numerous surgeries had been successful, and she now had one biological lung and one mechanical one. Her torso was now half mechanical, half human. It seemed that the transition period was being very hard on her. It was required that her body be left to heal on its own so that the acceptance of the new apparatus would be more natural. Her mind's acceptance, however...it seemed _that_ was where the true challenge lay. Padme's moods varied wildly form serene resignation to extreme anger that shook the mountain itself to bitter tears and raging fits of stubborn temper and pride. According to her Healer, however, Padme's progress was exceptional. For Padme herself, though, it was irritating in the extreme. She was used to being entirely independent, save for sharing her thoughts with her beloved twin.

Now, however, she could do nothing by herself; Finn did everything for her. He fed her, bathed her, helped her to the restroom; everything. It was not that it was embarrassing – no, they shared minds and shared knowledge of the most intimate nature. Neither of them had any body-shyness at all. For Padme, it was more her pride that was damaged. The only reason she allowed him to help her at all was because it was _Finn_. She heard his concern for her in his thoughts and knew he would _force_ his help on her if she refused. Therefore, most days she gave in to his requests and gentle commands with extreme poor grace.

The day of Poe's farewell celebration came, and still no word from the Healers stating definitively whether or not Padme could attend. Privately, Ben thought not. He knew first-hand how difficult it was to recuperate after such a terrible loss. If it hadn't been for Rey's patience, Ben doubted whether he would have survived the loss of his left arm and right leg at all. Ben made a small sound of disappointment deep in his chest before turning and making his way up the steps into what was usually the dining hall. For today, though, the tables had been removed and line after line of chairs had been set up to make room for the hordes that had come to say goodbye to Poe. To Ben, it all seemed somewhat surreal. He could not remember feeling so lost since the day his twin had died in his arms. Now, like then, it seemed like something had died deep within him.

As he entered the hall, the small amount of chatter there was fell silent. Ben made his way to the small stage that had been set up at the far end of the room, where Poe's casket lie open to allow those who had loved him to look on his face one last time. Slowly and with steps that seemed weighed down by lead, Ben climbed the stairs and looked down at the crowd of mourners. More people had come than Ben had realized. Poe's father, Urijah, had been sent for. Chancellor Organa-Solo was there, of course, and even Huur had made the journey. Ben cleared his throat and began, "I've never been known as a great speech-maker, so I won't bore you with pleasantries. We all know why we're here." Ben half-turned and gestured towards the casket, "We are here to celebrate the life of one of the most incredible men I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. Poe's courage was unrivaled. When we first met, we couldn't stand each other. Eventually, though, Poe's reasons to distrust me faded away and we carved out a true and lasting friendship. I had the honor of being there for Poe's final battle. He knew the stakes, and he knew the odds we were up against. He knew full well that we were fighting a man with abilities far beyond anything we'd ever seen before, but he didn't hesitate for a second. He just charged right in, like always. I saw him fall, of course I did; I just thought he'd been knocked unconscious. Never once did I worry; Poe had been through so much that I had begun to think him invincible. It wasn't until the battle was over that I began to realize that something was off. The unthinkable happened that day, and we lost a man who was far more than a friend to me: He was like a brother. We have lost a man of courage and integrity such as this galaxy has not known in a very long time. I can only speak for myself when I say that there are no words to describe the depth of our loss." Ben fell silent for a moment as tears threatened to overwhelm him. After a moment, he regained his composure, "If there is anyone who would like to say a few words, please do."

Ben stepped down off the stage and listened as others stepped forward to share memories, odd stories that made them laugh to remember how Poe had been, and a few heart-wrenching moments, like Valerie's tearful goodbye to her father. "I didn't know my father as long as I would have liked, but he was there for me when I needed him, once he knew that I was alive. My father was...complicated. He was one person to most everyone he knew – the funny man who could summon levity from the most serious moments, but to those who knew him, he was far more. He was a man of great intelligence and stubbornness. My father had a way of digging his heels in, and once he did that, there was no moving him or changing his mind. He loved a good fight, and he had a fearful temper. He was a great friend and brother, but to me, he will always be my father. I will miss him for the rest of my life."

With that, Valerie had hurried of the stage, and Ben had mounted the steps again, "If there is no one else..." Just then, the doors to the hall opened again. Finn walked slowly in, half-supporting Padme, who's right side was covered by a heavy cloak, hiding it from view. Inch by inch, they made their way to the steps and climbed them.

Finn turned to his father, "If it's alright, Padme and I had something to say." At his father's nod, Finn continued, "My sister wanted to be here today – so much so that she forced herself to walk from the medical wing, though she is still recovering from the injuries that she acquired during the battle that took Poe's life. She wished to say that Poe's passing has been a very great shock to us all, and the Academies will never be the same. We remember Uncle Poe most as a patient teacher and a wise adviser. If we ever had a problem we didn't want to go to our parents with, no matter the reason, he was always more than happy to help us work it out. He would help us figure out some new scheme, some new prank; he was good at it. We never comprehended why he was so highly regarded, though, until the first time we saw him fight; _then_ we understood. Poe Dameron had the spirit of a true warrior, and the heart of a poet. I know it's cheesy, but it's the truth. Poe was a man of great knowledge and wisdom, though most only knew him as a prankster, like us. We will miss him, but we are proud to have been able to claim that we knew him well." At that moment, Padme's face paled and her knees buckled. Finn helped her to remain upright, and once she had regained her equilibrium, he continued, "Forgive us; I am afraid my sister has overextended herself and we must return." Turning to Poe's casket, they stared at his kindly face for a long moment, each with tears in their eyes, before slowly making their way back out the hall towards the medical wing.

After the twins' unexpected appearance and hasty departure, there was no one else who seemed to have anything further to say. The chairs were quickly cleared, tables were laid out, and Poe's farewell celebration went off without a hitch. It went on well into the morning, and when it finally broke up, there were very few who could walk in a straight line. There had been tears, laughter, and a great deal of drink, but at the end of it, they all felt that they had honored Poe's memory to the best of their ability. At some point (Ben couldn't quite remember when), he had happened to glance towards the hall door and had seen Poe standing with his arm around a beautiful woman who looked _exactly_ like Valerie; Ben could only guess that it was her mother and namesake. The pair had looked directly at Ben and smiled happily before they vanished. Ben had glanced at Finn to ask if he'd seen them as well, but the look of pure joy on his old friend's face was answer enough. After that, Ben felt his grief lessen and a sense of peace overtake him.

Nearly a month later, Padme had finally regained her strength, though she could not stand to have her right arm seen just yet. The Council called both her and Finn to the Council Chambers, where they stood patiently, waiting to hear what the Council had to say; they had their own ideas, but had decided to wait and hear them out.

"Finn and Padme Solo," proclaimed one of the Council Members, "Long have the pair of you been a thorn in this Council's side. At last, however, it seems that you have begun to show maturity. Therefore, it is our very great pleasure to inform you that you are being granted the rank of Master. Congratulations."

Finn glanced at his twin, who nodded once. Finn smiled slightly and took her left hand in his, "Thank you, Masters, but before you go any further, Padme and I have something we feel we need to say." Finn took a deep breath and thought at his twin, _Are you sure?_ At her slight nod, Finn continued, "We are truly grateful for your confidence in our abilities, but I fear we must decline the rank of Master for the time being." Astonished murmurs broke out, and Finn waited patiently for them to subside, "Please understand, Masters. It is not out of disrespect, rather the exact opposite. Padme and I feel that there is still much for us to learn. Padme and I spent so long treating our studies like a joke that we feel it necessary to remain Padawans for a little while longer. In short, good Council, we feel that we are too young. We searched the Force, and this is the answer with which we were presented. We fear that this decision would be based solely on our actions during the Salvor Bahr matter, and we feel that to be insufficient evidence of our maturity."

The Council sat silently for a moment. Luke, as usual, seemed wholly unsurprised. After the silence stretched on for what seemed an eternity, the Council Member who had spoken before stood and spoke again, "It seems your wisdom surpasses our own in this case. We are most impressed; very well. You will remain Padawans for the time being, until we feel that any insolence or trouble-making tendencies have truly gone." With that, the matter was ended, and the twins bowed their way out of the cavernous Chamber. "Now, for another more _serious_ matter...Thamian Rar, please step forward." Thamain did as he was asked, his new arms glinting merrily in the light. As was usual for him, he seemed unconcerned with his current situation. "Now, Thamian; you have long been a friend to the Orders, but even so, we must be careful with our next decision. We have been informed about your past, and we find it entirely concerning that there is no one who remains that can confirm or deny your claims; it puts us in a terribly awkward position."

Just then, there was a crackle in the air, and the tell-tale tingle in the air that preceded the manifestation of a spirit. "Calm yourselves, now," came Obi-Wan Kenobi's voice, "I may no longer be alive, but I can still vouch for the identity of Thamian Rar. Before he died, Master Yoda told me about Thamian's long and storied history with the Darksaber. His claims are nothing but true."

The Council broke out in astounded whispers, "Thank you, Master Obi-Wan. It appears that the question of your identity is no longer a question at all; who am I to argue with the will of the Force? Therefore, Thamian Rar; you will resume your duties as the Guardian of the Darksaber, though I do not believe that complete seclusion would be wise this time. No, we will set up barriers that will alert you once they are crossed when you take your rest."

Thamian grinned, "I thank ye, Masters. It will be good to be among the Jedi once again." The Council was true to its word. The Darksaber was taken and stored deep within the mountain for safekeeping, and Thamian guarded it long, long after the current Council's time.

***Author's Note***

So, I'm really excited for what I have in store for you guys! As I've mentioned before, I won't be posting regularly for a while, though _An Intriguing Case_ will most likely get started sometime this week! thanks for reading, all! Lots of Love.


	32. Chapter 32

***Author's Note***

Before I give you my note for this evening's chapter, I would like to say something regarding the horrific shootings in Orlando, Florida over the weekend. I am a straight and extremely conservative woman and I have been spending this year re-discovering my Christian faith. However, that being said, I cannot and will not condone what has been done to those poor, innocent people. I have absolutely nothing against the LGBT community, and I have found them to be some of the sweetest, least judgemental people that I have ever known. My heart goes out to the families of the victims, as well as the survivors. I pray that the Lord will bless those poor people and protect the LGBT community from any further harm.

Good evening, my friends! So, the time has finally come to say goodbye to our dear friends. This project has been _such_ a blast for me. I am so happy to have had so many lovely people reading my work. I would like to give a special thanks to Serene Defiance. She has been my staunchest supporter, and one of my first followers. She has been a sounding board for some of my crazier ideas, and shot down some pretty bad ones. I have been blessed to have her honesty and creativity at all times. I don't think I would have been able to come as far as I have without her input.

I hope you've enjoyed this little trilogy I put together for y'all. I have truly enjoyed this time with y'all. Please enjoy the final chapter of _Darksaber._

***End Note***

Chapter 32

Four Years Later

Four years after the death of Poe Dameron, many thing had changed, though many things also remained the same. For one, the twins had become full Masters three years after Poe's death on their eighteenth birthday. It had become an accepted fact that Finn and Valerie were promised to each other, and no one even _tried_ to cozy up to either of them. Lilia and Matthew had had their first child and named him after Lilia's late father; Poe Shellac was his name. He was a tiny little thing with a shock of red hair and a laugh like his Grandfather's; his mother often called him a miracle of genetics. Luke was still on the council, though his age was beginning to catch up with him at long last. Ben and Rey were enjoying their time with young Han who was now eight, and a Padawan at the Neutral Academy, himself. He had his Grandfather's knack of finding trouble and squeezing back out of it again, though it defied all explanation. Leia, who was now twelve, had met the boy she had seen in her visions, and was on the fast track to becoming the youngest Master the Order had ever seen, not to mention the best Healer that had been seen in hundreds of years. Anakin, who was now seventeen, was nearly ready to become a Master, and was all set to take over as Head of the Jedi Academy within ten years, at the most. Thamian was...well, Thamian was busy being _Thamian_. It turned out his idea of "taking a break" from his guard duties was a quick smuggling run here and there. The Council had tried interfering at first, but had quickly seen the futility of trying to stand in the way of a mutli-thousand-year-old Jedi-turned-smuggler. Hrii had finished her training and become a Master, at which time she was assigned to the Togorian government as the Jedi Order's official liaison to her people. Finn and Twila had gained a new appreciation for each other after Poe's death, and frequently made their students nauseous, which entertained them to no end. T'arla and Jar'lek were earning their place among the Padawans, and many of the younger students looked up to them, despite the fact that they were clearly "half-breeds".

In the years since Poe's passing, a beautiful marble sarcophagus of pure white had been erected, and his casket moved from its original site to the sarcophagus. On each campus, there was an identical statue of Poe, showing him with a scroll in one hand and a blaster pistol in the other, a sword hanging from his hip and a laugh on his face. All in all, it seemed to fit the man they had all known perfectly, and was a fitting tribute to him. Valerie had taken over her father's post teaching History of the Force, and would take the students to one of the statues (depending on which Academy she was teaching at that day). It had become something of a tradition to lay offerings of Poe's favorite ales, candies, and so forth on the statues and his sarcophagus to honor his memory, and when the offerings would begin to pile up, those who had known him best would split them among themselves and celebrate his memory, not that they'd tell the students that, of course.

The children who had been affected by the imprisonment by Salvor's men had happily recovered, and had redoubled their attentiveness to their studies. The effects had been exceptionally promising, thus far. It seemed they had come out of the experience with a greater respect for each other as well as their superiors. Unfortunately for the late Salvor Bahr, his scheme appeared to have had the opposite effect that he had been looking for. Rather than tearing the Jedi apart and instilling distrust for the Jedi throughout the galaxy, it had drawn all parties closer together. The Jedi had proven that they could handle _any_ crisis, and that their training held true. This was a fact that brought an endless amount of entertainment to all parties who'd had any part in the Salvor Situation, as it had come to be known.

For Finn and Valerie, though, it seemed as though they would _never_ take the next step forward, and perhaps it would have remained that way if Padme had not finally grown tired of her brother's evasion of the topic of the "M" word and resolved to corner him after lessons. She and Finn had been given the course for special combat. Once the twins had become full Masters, there had been enough instructors to split the weapons courses into regular and advanced combat courses. Padme watched as two pairs of extremely talented Padawans grappled with light-saber and Force, ready to interfere should things get out of hand. She smiled slightly to herself as she recalled four years earlier when things _had_ gotten out of hand while she and Finn had been messing about on this very mountaintop. Finn's voice sounded in her head, _We blew Uncle Finn right off the mountain...Lucky for us he's as agile as a monkey_. Padme had to struggle to keep the grin off her face, but she could not keep the gleam out of her eyes. To cover it, she nodded at Finn, who barked at the Padawans, "Keep your guard up! I don't care how tied up your partner is just now! You _must_ keep up your guard, no matter what, or it may well cost you your lives!"

The four Padawans broke off, scowling mutinously, "That's easy enough for the two of _you_ to say! Neither of you has ever been in real trouble before that you didn't get each other out of! You've never had to worry about each other, since you're so close." The mountaintop went eerily silent as the older students who remembered when Padme had been wounded stared in shock that one of the newest Padawans _dared_ speak to _any_ Master like that, let alone one of the twins, who had earned the respect of their peers, as well as their students.

Finn opened his mouth to speak, but Padme held up her right hand, cutting him off. She still kept her right side well-covered, and always wore gloves to keep from having to answer awkward questions about her hand. Her habit of allowing her twin to speak for her had remained, as well, so their students' faces went slack with shock when she said, "Is that so, youngling? It might interest you to know that we had a part to play in the Salvor Situation."

The Padawan who had challenged them regained his composure and sneered at her, "Sorry, but sitting in the background and watching Mommy and Daddy fight doesn't mean much to me."

Padme narrowed her eyes dangerously at him, "You think I sat on the sidelines? You think I would allow my family to be in danger and not help them? Well, then look well!" Padme tore off her glove and pulled back the sleeve of her robe and tunic, baring her cybernetic apparatus. The students had known she was injured, but this was the first time any of them had seen to what _extent_ she had been wounded. Many paled, and the insubordinate Padawan's eyes bulged, giving the impression that he was some sort of mutated toad. She gave them another moment to take it in before tugging her sleeves back into place and replacing her glove, "The arm goes all the way to my shoulder and attaches where my right breast used to be, giving the _impression_ of one. I had a couple of ribs that needed to be replaced, and a lung, as well." Padme waited while the boy paled, staring in shock at her right side, "The _only_ reason I am still alive is the Bond my brother and I share. He was able to feed enough life into me through that Bond to keep me alive long enough to get me to the Healers. By all rights, I _should_ be dead. It was only because Salvor assumed I _was_ dead that I was able to get behind him and kill him. Rest assured, my brother and I have _earned_ our place among the other Masters. They offered to make us Masters at sixteen, but we refused; we both thought we were too young. It seems that our decision was the correct one; we would have been far too immature to handle such a question before, don't you think, brother?"

Finn grinned hugely; he hadn't seen Padme enjoying herself like this since she'd lost her arm, "I agree, sister. It doesn't matter how good you are separately if you cannot learn to fight together without distraction, and without _becoming_ a distraction to your partner. You can protect yourself as best you can, and still fall, should your partner do so. _Especially_ when your partner is Bonded with you."

The young Padawan's brow furrowed as he stared from Padme to Finn and back again, "How did _you_ survive, Master? Didn't your sister's pain hurt you, too?"

Finn drew himself to his full height, staring down at the young boy in approval, "Well spotted. Yes; at first, all I could feel was Padme's pain, but then she did something that I still haven't quite forgiven her for."

All eyes turned to Padme as she smiled and said, "I cut him off. I made him unable to feel me, hear my thoughts, _anything_. I got the idea from my Father's twin; she was able to do much the same thing when she fell to the Dark Side. Granted, this was a slightly different application, but still. When I did that, Finn was able to focus again and provide the distraction we needed to end Salvor."

The Padawans stared curiously at their Masters, wondering what the point of this exercise was until the one who had taunted them figured it out, "So...So, by making Master Solo think you were dead or at least past all hope...You stopped being a distraction to him, and you were able to complete your mission?"

Finn and Padme smiled with pride, and Padme knelt in front of the boy, "That is exactly it, youngling." They finished out the rest of the lesson with no further incident, and the Padawans hurried off to discuss what they had learned with the others.

 _Are you sure you were ready to let them see that?_ Finn thought with concern at his sister.

Padme shrugged, _They would have found out sooner or later. I just chose to make it sooner. What about you? Are you sure you're not avoiding the whole marriage topic?_

Finn choked on the water he'd been drinking, _Where did_ _ **that**_ _come from!? Yes...I mean, no...I mean...You're impossible._

Padme snorted with laughter, _Oh, come on. I did something that terrifies me...Your turn._

Finn glared at his twin, _No...No, this is a different matter altogether._

Padme rolled her eyes at him, _Yeah, you're right. You_ _ **know**_ _that she'll say yes. I had no idea how they'd react when I showed my arm to them._

Finn's eyes bugged and his mouth worked silently while he tried to put together coherent thoughts. _That's not...You don't under...Why do you have to..._

Padme interrupted her brother's mental stammering by grabbing him by the shoulders and shaking gently, _No, you're right. I don't understand. What are you so afraid of? She loves you, and you love her. What's the malfunction?_

Finn stared unhappily at his twin and shuffled his feet, _It's you._ Padme blinked with shocked and her mouth fell open with a small _pop_. _Now, don't misunderstand! It's not that you're around, not at all. It's more that I'm worried about what you'll do once there's a bit of distance between us. Granted, it won't be a_ _ **lot**_ _of distance, just a couple of bedrooms, but still. We've never been further than_ _ **literally**_ _two feet from each other before, and once I marry Valerie, we won't share a bedroom anymore. I don't want you feeling left out or shoved aside or replaced or anything like that._

Padme recoiled slightly in surprise, then burst out laughing; she couldn't help herself. _Is_ _ **that**_ _all!? Oh, you silly, foolish man! I could never be replaced – I'm your_ _ **sister**_ _. I've known your marriage with Valerie was coming from the moment you met her, and I've been ready for it. I, myself, will never marry; I think we both know that. So, any children you have will just have to live with having_ _ **three**_ _parents, essentially. No, I'm not worried. We're a unit, you and me. We come as a package deal, or not at all, and Val gets that. There's nothing and nobody that could ever change how close you and I are, and besides...I don't mind being left out of a_ _ **few**_ _things..._ Padme gave a melodramatic shiver that had her twin glaring at her, and causing another laugh to bubble out of her, _Seriously, though. You need to stop worrying so much and just follow your heart. It's never lead you astray before._

Finn stared at his sister with unspeakable gratitude in his eyes before slinging his arms around her, _Thanks, 'Me._

Later that evening, the twins walked from the small, three bedroom house they shared together (and had built together) to their parents' house, across the Neutral Academy's campus, reveling in the air of anticipation that seemed to permeate everything. They walked in together, instantly swarmed by their youngest brother, Han, and the first of the Shellac children, Poe. Padme made her way to Lilia, who was heavy with their second child, "How are you doing?"

Lilia smiled through her obvious exhaustion, "I feel fat," she joked, "But this one seems to be impatient to meet everyone; never sits – ooh – still." As Lilia had been speaking, the baby had chosen that moment to stretch, kicking its mother soundly in the ribs. "See what I mean?" She said through gritted teeth, "Don't worry about me, dear. The baby's just very active tonight; it's probably all the excitement." Lilia sat back down and closed her eyes, falling asleep immediately.

Matthew smiled and led Padme quietly away from his slumbering wife, "She's fine. It's just that between Poe and the baby, she hasn't been sleeping very much lately. She's taken to falling asleep at unusual moments and in unusual places."

Padme nodded that she understood and headed off to find her twin;predictably, she found him nestled between Valerie and a plate full of food. She laughed inwardly at her brother and dug up a plate of food for herself, eating in contented quiet until she sensed her brother was about to do what he should have done a long time ago, in her opinion. Setting everything aside, Finn reached into his robes and pulled out a small box. Kneeling before Valerie, Finn took both her hands in his and said, "Valerie, I know this is a bit late, and I know you've been ready for a very long time, but as you know...I like to do things in my own way and my own time. It's funny that I do all the talking for Padme, but now I can't seem to find any words. I love you, and I have since we met; I think you know that. Now, though, I would like to ask you for your hand in marriage. Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

Valerie gasped and choked as tears threatened to overflow, "It's about time, you great oaf! Of course, I'll marry you!" Laughter exploded through the house as Finn slipped the ring onto her finger and stood to kiss her. If that house had been any smaller, or any more full, the windows may well have blown out at the explosion of cheers that followed.

To no one's particular surprise, Valerie was not willing to wait for anyone or any _thing_ , and set the wedding for a mere three months after he'd asked her. She, Padme, and Lilia were often seen huddled around a table at either the Shellac house or the twins', pouring over wedding details, form the dress to the flowers, to the tiniest speck of color in this ribbon that might throw the whole thing off. All was going well until a mere week before the wedding was due to take place. The three girls were at Finn and Padme's place, attending to final details when Lilia had stood to get them some tea from the kitchen, saying she felt the need to move around. She had hardly been gone five minutes when there was an ear-splitting screech of pain from the kitchen, followed by loud moans of pain and rhythmic panting. Padme and Valerie shot to their feet, rushing to the kitchen, "Get...Matthew. Get..Matthew. Something... _wrong_!" Before anyone took three steps toward the door, it flew open, and in rushed Matthew and Leia.

"Get her to a bed," Leia shouted, obviously in her element. "I think it's a breach birth." At the blank stares of everyone around her, Leia elaborated, "It means the baby is backwards, you morons!" Matthew paled and tried, albeit rather clumsily, to help. He only succeeded in getting in the way and angering Leia, however, earning himself a sharp rebuke, "If you want your wife and child to live, I suggest you _get the heck out_!" Matthew paled and did as he was told, casting desperate glances over his shoulder at Lilia. "Okay, now I need you to listen to me very, very carefully, Lilia; can you do that?" Lilia nodded, her face pale and her eyes wide with pain and shock, "Do not push, do you hear me? Do not push until I tell you!" Lilia nodded and Leia closed her eyes, extending herself through the Force and into Lilia's womb. Almost immediately, she saw that she was right; the baby was backwards, and wedged in tight. Not only that, but it seemed like it was drifting sideways, making an already difficult situation even worse. Leia chewed at her lip and began barking orders, "Finn! Go and grab some clean towels. Valerie, heat some water! Padme, find some shears or something to cut the umbilical cord, _and not your light-saber, for goodness' sake_! Lilia, _don't you dare push until I say so!_ " Everyone bustled about, hurrying to follow Leia's orders and not daring to anger the young Padawan. She had entered womanhood a few months ago, and was all the more fearsome for it. Slowly, Leia turned the baby with the Force so that it faced head-first, as was proper, Lilia screaming in agony the whole time. "Okay, Lilia. _NOW!_ " Lilia grunted and groaned as she pushed with all of her might, her face turning red with the effort. Again and again, Leia asked Lilia to push, with little apparent progress being made. At one point, Leia made an odd hissing noise and a small scalpel seemed to appear from thin air. There was a small _pop_ and Padme paled, nearly fainting as she saw in her sister's mind what had happened: The skin between Lilia's vagina and anus had begun to tear, and Leia had cut it, to make the repair easier after. A few more pushes, and with a wet, squishing noise, the newborn baby flopped bonelessly into Leia's waiting hands, and she cut the cord with a quick, wet _snip_. Finn, Padme, and Valerie stood in awe at the tiny infant, still covered in blood and amniotic fluid. Leia made soft cooing noises to the baby as she smacked it soundly on the bottom, surprising the child into uttering its first cry. Leia smiled with triumph and dipped one of the clean towels in the warm water, gently cleaning the child, then wrapped it in a clean, dry towel. "It took thirteen hours," she said wearily, "but it's a girl." Leia bent, ever so carefully, and laid the child in Lilia's waiting arms as the doors burst open, Matthew clearly unwilling to wait any longer. "What will you name her?"

Lilia stared at the perfect bundle with the bluest eyes she had ever seen and whispered, "Sarah. Her name is Sarah. Sarah Shellac."

Just then, Lilia's eyes began to droop, and Leia expertly took the infant back, finished cleaning it up, and swathed it in its first diaper. "Congratulations, Matthew," whispered Leia, "It's a girl. I'd like you to meet your daughter, Sarah Shellac."

Matthew took her gingerly in his arms and stared down into his daughter's face, captivated. "She's perfect," he said.

The next week passed in a blur, and before Valerie knew it, it was her turn for a big moment; the biggest moment of her life, to date. Having recovered enough to walk short distances, Lilia insisted that she return the favor that Valerie had done her and serve as her sister's maid of honor. The girls sat together in a small room just beside the dining hall, fussing over Valerie's hair for at least an hour before they decided on a direction they both liked. Valerie's hair was parted down the middle, then formed into two braids. The two braids were then wrapped around the top of Valerie's head two or three times in a sort of circlet, the ends cleverly hidden in the "circlet". Her makeup was kept simple; she had never really felt the need for it, herself. At last, it was time for the dress. Valerie went off on her own to wiggle into the dress she had chosen, and returned a few minutes later, glowing. The gown was ankle-length in the front and just _barely_ skimmed the floor in the back. It was a gorgeous eggshell white that worked perfectly with the tone of her skin and hair. It was cut in a sweetheart neckline with capped sleeves made of soft, lustrous silk. The bodes was made of damask and curved in at the hips, accentuating the curve of her hips and bust, and the skirt of a lighter damask, cut into a full tulip. To finish it off, the thin, strappy heels were a mile high and matched the dress perfectly. In her hair was placed a blue-jeweled comb to hold the chiffon veil in place. The veil, she had borrowed from her sister, and the comb was a gift from Ben and Rey. To serve as her "something old," Valerie strapped on a woven bracelet that she had often seen her father wear; that way, she felt that her father would still be there with her on her wedding day.

The hall had been decorated simply, with curtains of pure white hanging from the walls and simple arrangements of pink and white flowers draped over every surface. Lilia walked in first, making her way to the front, where a chair had been set up for her. Next came Valerie, glowing like the North Star. Finn Solo's heart stopped momentarily, until Padme (who was serving as his Best Man) elbowed him sharply in the ribs with a sarcastic comment of, _You look like your tongue is going to loll out, moron._ Valerie slowly made her way towards Finn, and felt there was no way she could possibly be happier. As they swore their oaths and glanced down the aisle at the scores of friends and family that watched, they saw the glimmer of two spirits, standing in the very back of the room; it seemed that Poe and Valerie's mother had come to watch, after all. The moment was so perfect that it seemed to take on a pearlescent sheen in their memories. The reception was short (for the new bride and groom) and before long, they sneaked away to be alone.

After a while, people began to notice that they were missing; Matthew and Lilia exchanged a significant glance and smirk, but most were simply confused. At last, Thamian made his way over to Padme and asked, "Where's your brother got off to, girl?"

Padme stared up at him, disbelief in her eyes, "Well, you don't really expect them to stick around, do you?" Thamian cocked his head to the side, clearly not getting the message. Padme sighed in exasperation and laid a hand on Thamian's massive shoulder, "It's their _wedding night_ , Thamian. Where do you _think_ they went?" Thamian's face turned the same shade as his hair as he put two and two together, coming up with the inevitable. The room roared with laughter as Padme turned to her parents and said, "So...Do you mind if I stay with you guys for the next week or so?" A peace had come to the galaxy that would last for many, many years. Those that lived within that time counted themselves lucky beyond measure, and those that remembered the old times of the First Order counted themselves doubly so. The joy of the Solos and Damerons would live on through many generations, even during times that were, perhaps, not so pleasant, but so long as they had those they loved around them, they were satisfied.

The End

***Author's Note***

Phew. Okay, so I told you there would be a happy ending! I've never lied to you yet, have I? ^_^ Alright, well I hope you liked the ending of this one; I thought new beginnings would be a good way to end this one; I know last chapter was pretty hard to get through with Poe's death, but I'm so glad y'all seem to have enjoyed my work. I have some really exciting things coming up for you guys to - hopefully - enjoy. Till then, good evening from casa de Darkwind. ^_^


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